A quality account for 2025/26 has recognised a series of digital achievements at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, noting a successful EHR and patient portal launch, and tech in diagnostics and surgery.
The trust shares the successful launch of its Epic EHR in November 2025 in partnership with University College London Hospitals, replacing multiple legacy systems and granting clinicians real-time access to patient information. At the same time, it also introduced the MyCare patient-facing app to give patients access to information about their care, and EpicCare Link for tertiary referrals. Focus has now shifted to optimisation and benefits realisation, it states, with priorities around improving data quality, reducing duplication, improving coding, supporting pharmacy workflow optimisation, and providing better operational intelligence.
On nursing benefits and adoption post Epic go-live, the trust reports on the move from paper medicine charts to a digitised medicine administration record, with less medicine-related errors, and speedier restocking thanks to an integrated pharmacy ordering system. “Handovers have traditionally been printed either twice or three times a day,” it notes. “All clinical areas are now handing over digitally. This is saving (approx figures) 500 sheets of paper per shift change , or 7000 sheets per week.” Handovers are now updated via the charting, or on the go, and all clinicians are able to see relevant changes, with RNOH stating benefits for information governance and the discharge process overall.
The board highlights ongoing work on an administrative transformation programme to maximise EHR efficiencies, looking to enable two-way text messaging for patients to amend appointments; ambient listening to convert clinician-patient interactions into structured documentation; MyCare self-scheduling to empower patients to manage appointments digitally; and a CRM solution integrating telephony with EHR CRM functionality to personalise and coordinate patient interactions.
RNOH has also installed the Brainlab surgical suite, supporting spinal surgery from remote pre-op planning to “intra-operative navigation”, it records. Mixed reality navigation with Magic Leap glasses enables surgeons to visualise patient anatomy in 3D during procedures, the trust continues, improving precision and reducing the need to divert attention away from the operative field. Implementation of the Scan4Safety inventory management system integrated with Epic is delivering “significant operational benefits”, it adds.
Wider trend: EPR
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has delayed the planned June go-live 
of its eCare EPR, describing the decision as a “necessary and appropriate assurance action”. The decision was taken following a 60-day review of clinical, operational, and technical readiness, the board shares, highlighting that despite substantial progress, it had not been sufficiently assured that a June go-live would consistently support safe patient care and service continuity across all areas. An NHSE 90-day assessment of the programme further rated it Amber/Red, the board adds.
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust has published its quality account for 2025/26, outlining successes over the last 12 months including its EPR programme. “Significant progress” has been made over 2025/26 in delivering the trust’s digital programme in support of safer, more efficient, and more integrated care, University Hospitals Plymouth states, with the formal award of an EPR contract to Epic as part of the One Devon EPR programme. The implementation phase remains ongoing, it continues, with a planned go-live scheduled for July 2026 following a successful go-live at Torbay Hospital in April.
A new operating model for digital has been outlined by the board of Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, along with plans to move to a single group-wide EPR, and to align with the London Secure Data Environment to support population health research. The new model will be agile and user-centred, the trust notes, with a digital governance framework currently being redesigned to include digital strategic priorities and KPIs with alignment to clinical strategy. “As part of the op model process, we will implement an enterprise architecture function that will allow us to refresh and implement digital standards for tech, data and design to support our shift from analogue to digital, operational resilience and data intelligence ambitions,” RFL states.
