Birmingham Community shares transformation plan aiming for productivity improvement of two percent per annum

Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has shared details of its digital transformation journey to date and future plans for digital and information delivery to 2029. Progress has continued to become a digitally-enabled organisation, according to the trust, with key initiatives including 1,000 CoPilot licenses being rolled out over summer 2026 to test the value of AI in high-volume administrative processes and decision support systems. 2026/27 focuses cover targeted automation to reduce high-volume admin, ambient voice pilots in clinical settings, and the use of its Shared Care Record in priority pathways. For 2027/28, this will shift to a data storage refresh aligned to cloud strategy, embedded Shared Care Record use, adoption of ambient voice at scale, eReferrals, and Digital Academy expansion. By 2028/29, the trust will be looking to data centre replacement, cloud migration, and the use of information as a “strategic asset”.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals digital initiatives supporting elective care, diagnostics, and cancer pathways

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s planned care improvement plan for 2026/27 has outlined how digital has supported elective care, diagnostics, and cancer pathways. The trust reports entering 2026/27 “from a strengthened position” following its participation in the NHSE Q4 elective sprint looking at outpatient first appointments and procedures, which delivered improvements in RTT performance and waiting list size. This plan, it states, offers “a whole-pathway approach to planned care, addressing access, diagnostics, outpatient and surgical pathways, and reducing delays, cancellations and unwarranted variation”.

For elective care across surgery and outpatients, the trust is looking to increase productivity and capacity by minimising variation in outpatient pathways, optimising theatre utilisation, and reducing cancellations through improved scheduling. The roll out of ambient AI is expected to help improve clinical communications with patients and offer added efficiency in administrative processes; and the trust also plans to use the Federated Data Platform for scheduling and tracking outcomes, to employ digital tools for text reminders, as well as relying on patient portals and the NHS App to help reduce non-attendance and cancellations. In 2026/27, improvement initiatives for cancer care will prioritise productivity and capacity, with demand and capacity reviews, enhanced job planning and capacity modelling, and strengthened pathway management and sequencing, according to the trust. It goes on to share plans to use AI-enabled tooling such as Cancer 360 to support pathway management and data quality, to improve transparency through existing EPR and cancer information systems, and to embrace digital in performance monitoring and operational decision making.

Group strategy to 2031 offers insight into digital developments and future plans at Sandwell & West Birmingham and The Dudley Group

A group strategy from Sandwell & West Birmingham and The Dudley Group trusts has promised better access to digital tools for staff and greater use of technologies to release clinical time, with the workforce to be supported to work in news ways and to develop the skills required for digital and service transformation. The group also cites greater use of the NHS App, better use of data to support decision-making, and the use of digital and AI solutions “at scale”. Data and local intelligence will be used to identify those most at risk, focusing on the most deprived communities and priority clinical areas through the Core20PLUS5 framework, the trust indicates, targeting prevention where it will have the greatest impact.

AI strategy from Midlands Partnership University highlights current benefits and plans around AI

A short-term AI strategy from Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust has been published, as the trust looks to learn from the first 12 months of AI deployment ahead of a full AI strategy update. Highlighted are some of the AI technologies already making an impact at MPFT, with Co-Pilot and Intelligent Recap reportedly reducing staff workload by summarising non-clinical meeting content and identifying key actions. Also mentioned is a chatbot which supports Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Talking Therapies by triaging self-referrals. Ambient AI is in use to summarise consultations, voice dictation with intelligent summarisation is in place, and robotic process automation is used for repetitive tasks such as death registrations and recruitment activities. Over the next year, generative AI and large language models will be used to support staff in non-clinical activities like drafting documentation, and RPA will help with admin processes “with a focus on referral processes and workflow improvement”. AI agents will also handle appointment booking queries and coordinate activity automatically based on service user requests.

East Midlands Ambulance strategic estates plan to 2035 outlines future state vision and hub model enabled by technology

East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust has published its Strategic Estates Plan to 2035, outlining its future state vision and plans for a strategic hub model enabled by technology. “The current EMAS estate was constructed for an ambulance service model that no longer reflects the scale, complexity, or operational needs of today’s service,” the trust shares. “Through a structured, prioritised programme, EMAS can secure an estate that is fit for purpose for the future, supporting next-generation emergency care for our people and patients.” Over the next ten years, EMAS will focus on moving to fewer, better hubs and community standby points to support a data-led and mobile response model. Infrastructure modernisation will help to enhance patient care, improve operational efficiency, and support workforce development, the trust notes.

Growth in Emergency Operations Centres, digital-first models, and clinical triage have reportedly led to a need for modern and tech-enabled facilities. “Without large scale transformation, EMAS faces increasing operational risks, rising maintenance costs, inefficient estate, barriers to fleet electrification, and an inability to support new models of patient care. A future-ready estate must be safe, sustainable, digitally enabled, and strategically located,” the trust explains. The future state vision of a strategic hub model relies on the creation of community-integrated healthcare delivery points alongside centralised operational centres, according to EMAS, with digital technologies supporting information sharing and coordination of services, and flexible spaces that can adapt to changing operational needs. New hubs will be created each year, subject to capital funding availability, the trust notes, whilst Emergency Operations Centre facilities will be developed in line with demand, digital requirements, and opportunities for consolidation.

Medium term plan for North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare shares plans for EPR transformation and scaling innovation

A medium term plan for North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust has shared details of digital plans and priorities for the next five years, with focuses on the shift from analogue to digital, and ambitions for EPR transformation, single patient record, digitising pathways, and scaling digital innovation. On EPR transformation, the trust refers to the scheduled go-live of the ORBIS U EPR in 2026/27, and ambitions to build on this with the wider adoption and embedding of digital solutions supporting productivity, safety, and clinical decision-making. Tools such as ambient voice technology that are already in use at the trust will also be scaled.

Priority pathways will be digitised to help support access and productivity, with the neurodevelopmental pathway and Mental Health Act pathway further digitised in line with pilot activity carried out by the trust to improve oversight and compliance. Further, North Staffordshire commits to building on its reported success with the delivery of tools like the Patchs AI dictation and triage tool to inform future implementations and rollouts of other digital solutions. Trust-wide productivity tools including AI transcription and workflow automation will be deployed to help achieve operational efficiencies, and the trust will continue to work on network modernisation, cloud adoption, and tools supporting collaboration across the organisation and wider system.

Digital and technology in medium term plan for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care

In a medium term plan to 2030, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust has outlined ambitions around digital transformation for the next five years. Key programmes for 2026/27 include neighbourhood health development, patient engagement portal implementation, and enhancements to digital and clinical systems, it shares. Digital infrastructure is a capital investment priority, it continues, and a focus will be placed on modernising and rationalising estates, infrastructure, connectivity, and security. The trust also outlines key enablers including Shared Care Record for system-wide data access, AI tools like ambient voice and Copilot, EPR expansion and e-prescribing, and Power BI dashboards for real-time insights.

Wye Valley highlights upcoming EPR re-procurement, FDP, ambient voice in five-year plan

Wye Valley NHS Trust has shared a series of digital updates and priorities during its April board meeting, highlighting upcoming EPR and patient portal procurements, expanded use of the Federated Data Platform, and ongoing adoption of AI and ambient voice technology. “Wye Valley’s journey from digital immaturity to maturity has been rapid and must be consolidated, maximising existing assets, improving interoperability, innovating continuously and safely, based upon the needs of our patients and staff,” the trust states. With the end of the second contract for its EPR imminent, a business case is being developed for re-procurement, with aims of testing the market and ensuring delivery of Minimum Digital Foundations, the trust reports. It also notes that the current patient portal, which saw “strong uptake”, is now end of life, with ambitions to procure a new product in 2026/27 and take more services online.

South Warwickshire University NHS and George Eliot Hospital board discuss joint EPR programme set for October 2026 go-live

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust and George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust boards have discussed their shared EPR programme, noting a go live of October 2026, the need to progress at pace, and highlighting the potential costs if the programme delays. “The programme has very limited contingency time, and delays to the programme timescale are estimated at a cost of £1 million per month,” the boards highlight. EPR localisation sessions are underway to review the current EPR system and workflows with a view to assessing impact on trust processes, as well as potential clinical and operational risks. A mitigation plan has also been agreed, with leads reviewing workflows, and a localisation tracker being shared with UHCW to identify areas requiring their input.

Medium term plan to 2030 from Northamptonshire Healthcare focuses on digital enablement and transformation

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s medium term plan to 2030 has been published, committing to working to introduce new digital tech and “mainstream digitally-enabled care”. Digital technology and innovation will be used to help improve access to information, support, and treatment for children, young people, their families, and carers, it shares. The focus will be on establishing firm digital foundations with strong governance, delivering a digitally enabled and productive workforce, and promoting efficiency and value through digital innovation, including opportunities for AI and robotic processing to offer efficiency benefits.

Royal Wolverhampton shares post EPR go-live update and phase two plans for 2026

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust has shared updates on phase one go-live of its EPR programme and a revised EPR milestone plan to the end of 2026 and beyond. Phase one covered the replacement of the trust’s patient administration system for acute and community services, as well as the emergency department patient first system and theatre management system. The transition to the Careflow platform took place over the weekend from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September, with the PAS being set to “view only” from the Friday evening and all PAS-related processes temporarily managed on paper. This gave teams the time to complete a “complex” data migration process involving the extraction of data from the system, and then upload that data to the new one. After fit-for-purpose testing took place, new data generated over the weekend and held on paper was rekeyed into the new system.

Black Country Healthcare outlines plans for multi-year digital transformation programme to 2030

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has published its trust strategy and clinical strategy for 2025 – 2030, with a focus on a multi-year digital transformation programme set to improve service integration, build capability, realise benefits, ensure effective use of data, and standardise services. As well as getting the basics right and embedding continuous improvement, Black Country Healthcare commits in its trust strategy to develop digital maturity through implementing and realising benefits from solutions including its EPR and patient engagement portal. Integrated teams will be key to fully enable the intended value of digital solutions, it continues, and an emphasis will be placed on providing care “in the right place at the right time”.

A vision is for all services to be supported through care navigation and shared digital records, and opportunities such as the optimisation of clinical workflows and improvements in data-driven decision-making will be explored and maximised. The goal is to fully deploy digital investments across bed management, patient portal, and EPMA, engaging and supporting clinical and operational teams. Real-time dashboards for service performance and improvement will be developed, according to the trust, with standardised use of systems encouraged to promote “harmonised services”, and additional functionality introduced for electronic referral management and tools to support decision making. Service users and carers will be involved in the co-design of new services, and supported with tools such as the patient engagement portal, digital therapy tools, ambient voice technology, and digital cognitive behavioural therapy solutions.

Birmingham Women’s and Children’s digital plan highlights post-EPR optimisation and efforts to overcome challenges with legacy systems

A roadmap for delivery of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust’s latest strategy to 2030 has outlined a series of digital priorities across the next four years, covering post-go-live EPR optimisation, piloting AI, cloud migration, and a device and infrastructure refresh. For 2026-27, aims include publishing a new digital strategy, post-go-live optimisation of Epic EPR, completing a legacy system risk assessment and prioritised replacement plan, piloting AI solutions, redesigning data governance, and developing a pathology and genetics LIMS. Year two focuses to 2028 cover the cloud migration of non-Epic solutions, and a device and infrastructure refresh, with an AI strategy also set to launch alongside initial AI pilots. By 2029, the trust hopes to complete the deployment of research platforms, expand regional partnerships, and make a series of cyber security upgrades. The final year of the strategy, to 2030, will cover integrated patient portal expansion and the evaluation of AI and automation outcomes.

Positive progress has been made in securing investment for targeted IT infrastructure upgrades, in the successful implementation of pilots to test digital solutions, and in strengthening collaboration with regional and national digital health initiatives, the trust records. Incremental upgrades are being made to critical IT systems, enhanced monitoring and interim protective measures are in place to mitigate risks from legacy systems, and strengthened oversight and reporting mechanisms have been developed to ensure the effective monitoring of IT projects. Optimisation of the Epic EPR is “critical” to improving clinical workflows, data accessibility, and decision-making, the trust states. Work is ongoing to automate data flows from the Epic system to improve data completeness and quality, with a “significant opportunity” to harness health data in support of research and innovation. BWC also notes progress in work up schemes associated with genomics, including £1.5 million for LIMS upgrade and middleware; £2.7 million to purchase robotic automation for extraction processes; and a £0.7 million investment in cancer sequencing capacity.

The role of digital in Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health-led collaborative’s five year strategy to 2031

A five year strategy to 2031 from the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Provider Collaborative has explained the role of digital in the design of future mental health services, outlining the promise of technology in enabling faster, higher-quality, and more connected care. From a commissioning perspective, investment will be shifted upstream toward prevention, early support, and community-based alternatives to hospital, it highlights, “making every pound count” through the use of evidence-based models, digital tools, and real-time data to target need. Information sharing will be enabled to ensure a single, shared digital view of individuals, the use of AI and digital innovations will be maximised, and data will be better used to help understand progress, it adds.

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust highlights digital investments and future plans

In a recent board meeting, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust shared details of a variety of digital programmes, including an investment in a specialist digital solution to administer the Mental Health Act. It notes benefits of this approach in reduced incidents and unlawful detentions, empowerment for patients, improved patient experience, improved patient flow, and released clinical and corporate time. The trust also indicates future plans in optimising Federated Data Platform digital solutions, widening the adoption of ambient voice technology, and scoping opportunities to use AI and other emerging technologies to support productivity and efficiency. Over the next year, a particular emphasis will be placed on consolidating benefits from existing assets such as EPR, and on designing end-to-end digital workflows.

Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Q4 update pinpoints progress on digital and data, and work still to do

Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership’s Q4 update has pinpointed progress on digital and data, as well as work left to do in areas such as EPR mobilisation, data, and digital innovation. A data quality summit has been held to agree the trust-wide approach, and a trust-wide programme of data quality improvement has begun, it shares, with future focus on the identification of resource implications. On new EPR mobilisation, a supplier has been selected and a contract has been awarded, with phase one go-live in mid-January 2026, and work on phase two having been started. Phase two funding for EPR in 2026/27 is yet to be secured, it continues. Focuses for the second phase will cover standardisation, optimisation, integration to enable digital front door, and training. A review of current ePMA is also in progress which will lead to a business case for a trust-wide system.