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this armed forces Spending £7.8 million to scrap traditional paper medical Documentation systems and transition to digital systems.
By 2027, the current “archaic” paper-based system (in place since 2017) first world warwill be replaced by the digitized records currently in use NHS.
The move comes as the armed forces look to increase recruitment, improve deployment capabilities and make it easier for personnel to transition into civilian life. Department of Defense explain.
Veterans and People’s Minister Louis Sandel-Jones said: “Our Armed Forces deserve a modern health care system. For too long, paper records have slowed recruitment and caused unnecessary trouble for veterans.”
“This new system will break down bureaucracy, get recruits in uniform faster, and ensure veterans have a smooth transition into civilian life.”
The department said a decades-old paper-based system meant the transfer of health records between the NHS and the Defense Medical Service relied on time-consuming paperwork, which slowed recruitment and staff exits.
Currently, people leaving the armed forces must go through paperwork and wait for health records to arrive on the NHS.
Ms Sandel-Jones said: “This is a concrete example of this government delivering on our commitment to renewing national contracts with service personnel and proof that investment in defense means British jobs and British growth.”
The £7.8 million contract to deliver the new system was awarded to Leeds-based software company The Phoenix Partnership.
This follows a £2.5 million investment in January in the Mercury app, which allows defense medics to securely access military medical records during operations and exercises.
Charlotte Knowles, chief executive of the Phoenix Partnership, said: “We are extremely proud that the Ministry of Defense has chosen our modern electronic health record system. We are honored to be able to support the delivery of GP, community and rehabilitation services to armed forces and their families across all four nations of the UK.”
“The collaboration between the UK Ministry of Defense and Phoenix Partnership will provide the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force with the world’s most advanced digital health platform – now and into the future.”
General Sir Jim Hockenhull said: “This new electronic health record system will provide our Armed Forces with the digital infrastructure they need – speeding up recruitment, improving the flow of information and ensuring our personnel can focus on mission rather than paperwork.
“This is exactly the modernization we need to keep up with the threats we face.”