Key Findings from the Report

A recent report by Future Health Intelligence (FHI) reveals that 94% of NHS acute trusts in England have successfully implemented an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system.

Report Highlights

• The report focuses on contract wins and migrations occurring between January 2024 and March 2025.
• It indicates that the digitization of acute providers within the NHS accelerated in 2024, with EPRs being central to this digital shift.
• Last year’s findings showed that 19 acute trusts (13%) were without a live EPR; this number has now decreased to just eight trusts (6%).

Government Initiatives

The UK government’s £2 billion Frontline Digitisation programme aims for complete EPR adoption across both acute and mental health trusts, extending the deadline from March 2025 to March 2026.

Future Projections

FHI forecasts that by March 2026, 97% of acute trusts (130 out of 134) will have EPR systems in place, with the remaining trusts making significant progress in their implementation plans.

Current Status of Non-EPR Trusts

• Among the eight trusts without a live EPR, one has selected a preferred supplier, while three are in the process of engaging with the market or seeking approval to procure an EPR.
• The remaining four trusts have not publicly shared their plans.

Market Share Insights

The report also analyzes the EPR market share, revealing:

• Oracle Health leads the market with a 25% share, a rise of 1.4% from the previous year.
• System C holds the second position, despite a 1.4% decline in market share.
• Epic experienced the largest gain, increasing its share by 3.5% to 9.7%.
• Other suppliers like Alcidion, Altera, Meditech, and Nervecentre each gained 0.7%, while Dedalus saw a slight decline of 0.7%.

Contract Expiry and Renewal

Approximately 27% of the 134 existing acute contracts are set to expire within the next year, with an additional 8.5% up for renewal in the next three years. Notably, around 24% of trusts either lack an EPR or are out of contract, although many are already in the process of implementing or procuring new systems.

Challenges Ahead

Despite the positive trends in EPR adoption, the report notes ongoing challenges:

• Delays in go-live dates for Oracle Health at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust highlight the complexities involved in implementation.
• Some trusts are still not actively procuring EPR systems, indicating persistent barriers to achieving full coverage.