NHS Orkney delays EPR go-live following ‘resource challenges’

NHS Orkney has delayed the launch of its new electronic patient record (EPR) to spring 2026 because of “significant resource challenges”.

The health board signed a deal with Cambric Systems, a supplier of healthcare patient data software solutions across Scotland, in September 2024 to roll out its MORSE EPR, which was planned to go live with the first services in early 2025.

In a board paper, published on 30 October 2025, Laura Skaife-Knight, the former chief executive of NHS Orkney who has since moved to NHS Grampian, told board members that “a few obstacles have been encountered in relation to deployment of the MORSE community EPR”.

Debs Crohn, interim head of coporate governance at NHS Orkney told Digital Health News: “We have faced significant resource challenges which have impacted on our EPR deployment timelines.

“These obstacles have been acknowledged, and we are working to address them effectively and are planning to go-live with MORSE in the spring of 2026.”

Commenting on the delay, Gary Sherriff, director of Cambric Systems said: “We recognise the pressures NHS Orkney has been managing and fully support the revised timeline.

“The programme remains in a strong position, with excellent engagement from clinical and operational teams across the board.

“Morse is designed to replace systems that no longer meet modern service needs, and we are pleased to be working closely with NHS Orkney to deliver a robust, future-focused electronic patient record that will bring lasting benefits for staff and patients alike.”

Earlier this year, a whistleblowing concern was raised to the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer by NHS Orkney staff around the current EPR system and the move from paper to electronic records.

Dr Anna Lamont, medical director and executive lead for whistleblowing at NHS Orkney, told Digital Health News: “The concern highlighted was that, due to a transition from paper records to electronic records, there was an initial backlog of paper records that had not been digitised and were thus inaccessible to staff.

“This issue has since been addressed, with all records now scanned and uploaded to the electronic EPR system.”

Lamont also shared that employees had complained about the existing EPR system not adequately meeting the service’s requirements.

“This challenge was acknowledged, and it was agreed that we would move to implementing the MORSE community EPR system.

“As an interim measure, an additional feature was introduced within the current EPR to assist staff in reviewing and documenting care,” she said.

Meanwhile, it was reported in November that delays to a joint Oracle EPR programme at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust and George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust could cost around £1 million a month after it fell behind in the ‘localisation phase’, in which the core system and its workflows are tailored to meet the specific needs of the trust.

In 2024, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Airedale NHS Foundation Trust were also both forced to delay their planned EPR programme go-live dates.