Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published on 8 May by the Health Foundation, Digitising the NHS and adult social care.

Digital transformation offers substantial opportunities for the National Health Service to improve care outcomes and to lower cost, while improving the experience of patients. The impact of digital tools and programmes are measured individually, and organisations are required to identify, manage, actively track, and report impacts, outcomes, and benefits against agreed plans.

Our investment in digitising the frontline will ensure value for money and that health and care staff have access to health-related information when and where it is needed, supporting them to deliver care efficiently, effectively, and safely, reducing variation and improving outcomes.

Currently, 187 out of 206, or 91% of, secondary care trusts have an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) in place, with work underway to provide tailored support to the remaining 19 trusts that do not yet have an EPR. Our ambition is for all trusts to meet our stated core digitisation standards, including having EPRs in place, by March 2026.

In adult social care, 75% of registered care providers now have digitised care records, up from 41% in December 2021, benefiting 85% of people who draw on care.