The latest Digital Health Unplugged is now live – this time our news team discuss speculation of a national Epic electronic patient record.

Earlier this month Digital Health News published a feature speculating about a national deal between NHS England and US electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic began to circulate. A decade on from the failed National Programme for IT, rumours of a national EPR deal undoubtedly sparked concern for some.

But what would a national deal with Epic look like, and what implications would that have for the NHS? Tune in to hear from our news team:

  • Andrea Downey, senior reporter
  • Hannah Crouch, editor
  • Jon Hoeksma, editor-in-chief

The rumours began when Tim Ferris joined NHS England as the new head of digital transformation. Ferris is a big advocate of the Epic system and has reportedly told colleagues it should be used by many more trusts.

Ferris joined NHS England from Massachusetts General Hospital, which in 2016 deployed Epic in a programme reportedly costing almost a billion dollars.

Several trusts in the UK have also struck multi-million-pound deals with Epic, meaning the NHS in England could be looked at a bill worth billions if it procured a national EPR from the supplier.

All this and more is discussed in this episode of Digital Health Unplugged.

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