As reported by Digital Health, NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard admits there’s no set timeline for ditching paper records, despite ongoing digital efforts
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, has admitted that there is no set date planned for the NHS to become paperless.
Giving evidence at the Health and Social Care Committee on 29 January 2025, Pritchard was questioned about whether the NHS is well placed to implement the government’s three healthcare shifts in the forthcoming 10 year health plan.
The committee was the same day a report on NHS financial sustainability was published by the Public Accounts Committee, raising concerns about “the lack of fresh thinking and decisive action” from NHSE and the Department of Health and Social Care.
At the committee, Danny Beales, Labour MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, asked: “When will pages, fax machines and mountains of letters that were going between primary and secondary care be a thing of the past?”
Pritchard responded that the previous secretary of state had regretted making commitments to a paperless NHS because “it’s much more complicated than just doing the secondary care side, it’s back to the connectivity point”.
In response, Julian Kelly, deputy chief executive officer and chief financial officer at NHSE, said: “We have clearly done a lot of work, and will continue to do a lot of work.
“For example, joining up community pharmacies with our acute trust and GP practices. So there is a programme of work. “There is a lot more that remains to be done.”
He added that work was also underway to enable patients to “join up” with trusts and their GP practices through the NHS App.
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