Royal Devon sets pace for NHS digital integration

Five‑year journey delivers care closer to home, puts patients in control and will soon be part of the first county-wide electronic patient record

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Devon) has published a review of its achievements since switching to using an electronic patient record.

The document can be read on the Royal Devon website here.

In 2020 the Royal Devon became one of the first NHS Trusts in the country to start using an electronic patient record (EPR) and in the years since Royal Devon has been at the forefront of digital transformation in the NHS.

Royal Devon uses the Epic EPR. Epic Systems is a technology company that provides healthcare software to hospitals around the world. 

Some of the achievements you can read about in the report include:

• Royal Devon was the first Trust in the UK to use Epic Rover in community settings and its software build informs the UK configuration, with the Royal Devon team presenting to Epic globally.   
• Almost 10,000 patients have been able to stay at home and be cared for remotely using wearable devices integrated with the Epic EPR. In recent years Royal Devon has gathered more remote data than any other Epic equipped hospital in Europe. 
• Over 230,000 patients now have 24/7 access to their Royal Devon information using the MY CARE service on their computers or mobile devices.  90% of surveyed patients say they’re satisfied with the service.
• Making healthcare more sustainable. Using digital tools to remove 500,000 letters in one year, saving approximately £450k and over 4 tonnes of CO2. 
• Using MY CARE to offer short‑notice appointments to patients waiting for an appointment, driving down waiting lists.

Professor Adrian Harris, Chief Medical Officer – Digital & Research says, “We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and are excited to continue building on this success. Our EPR plays a critical role in helping us meet the goals of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, which focuses on improving care quality, efficiency, and access through digital transformation.” 

“I would like to pay tribute to all members of the various teams who have worked so hard to deliver for our patients. The stories told here are only a snapshot of the remarkable progress we’ve made in transforming care across East and North Devon. And now we are working to deliver the next step – extending this to all of Devon and beyond.”

In 2026 the One Devon Programme is uniting three separate NHS trusts with a single EPR. This is a first for the NHS in England and will foster deeper partnerships between these Trusts in readiness for future innovations. Patients will benefit from smoother transitions between services and will see all the benefits the Royal Devon has experienced over the last five years extended across the entire county.