Overview
NHS England has announced the cancellation of a £69 million investment program aimed at electronic bed capacity management systems (eBCMS). The funds will now be redirected to support the implementation of electronic patient records (EPRs).
Background
In 2023, NHS England’s transformation unit had allocated these funds to introduce eBCMS in some of the NHS trusts facing significant challenges with A&E wait times and patient transfers. The goal was to reduce waiting lists and improve patient discharge processes.
Current Developments
- The budget for eBCMS has been integrated into the broader initiative to ensure that all NHS trusts have an EPR by March 2026, a target that is currently on schedule.
- An NHS England spokesperson stated that after initial assessments, eBCMS was not implemented nationally. Instead, the focus shifted to achieving a fundamental level of digitization across all trusts.
- NHS England is committing £1.9 billion to ensure that every NHS trust either has an EPR or is in the process of implementing one by the target date.
Future Plans
The funds were reallocated at the end of 2024, and a blueprint for eBCMS was developed for trusts that still wish to pursue a standalone system.
The initial group of trusts that were to receive funding for eBCMS included:
- Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Statements from Trusts
A representative from University Hospitals Plymouth commented:
“The trust currently has an in-house system for bed occupancy and capacity management, along with third-party systems that are interoperable. We are optimizing our current systems to meet the eBCMS specifications and recognize the importance of a well-optimized system.”
They also noted that the Devon-wide Epic EPR will include its own eBCMS, which is expected to significantly enhance patient flow management when it goes live next year.
Collaborative Efforts
University Hospitals Plymouth and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust signed a contract with Epic in January 2025, aiming to implement a unified EPR across Devon under the One Devon EPR programme.
Model Inspiration
The investment in eBCMS was based on a model developed by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, which features a command center for overseeing bed management, patient flow, and real-time tracking of patients to facilitate better management of admissions, discharges, and transfers.