A newly released leadership assessment indicates major upgrade and transformation project is on course to hit its specified targets, although much work remains to be done in the final weeks
Almost 30 NHS trusts around the country need to meet baseline digital-capability standards in the coming weeks if the health service is to fulfil targets set out in a multi-year £2bn-plus transformation project.
Among the key objectives of the Frontline Digitisation Programme is that, by March 2026, 70% of the 200-plus NHS trusts in England “will reach the standard for the core level of digitisation set out in the What Good Looks Like framework” – a set of transformation guidelines published in light of the Covid pandemic.
According to a recently published accounting officer assessment for the digitisation programme, “currently 56% of trusts meet these standards”. However, according to the review – undersigned by Department of Health and Social Care permanent secretary Samantha Jones – the figure is “forecast to increase to 70% by March 2026”, in line with the project’s intended deliverables. The project is also reportedly well set to progress into a subsequent programme of work, intended to embed and perpetuate the gains of digital transformation.
“Confidence in meeting this [standards] target is high, following a detailed review and validation of data provided by trusts against the Digital Capabilities Framework, which was not previously available”, the assessment says. “This data set will help inform the development of the Frontline Productivity Programme and provide a baseline from which to further scale up digital maturity across care settings over the next Spending Review period. The Frontline Productivity Programme will take the good practices learned from the Frontline Digitisation Programme and use them to achieve further productivity gains from frontline investment to close the remaining gap in digital capabilities.”
In order to move from the current 56% level up to the required 70%, around 28 or 29 additional trusts will need to achieve compliance with the standards.
Change the record
The other key stated ambition of the Frontline Digitisation Programme, which forms part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio, is for 100% of trusts to have successfully moved to an electronic patient record system – or have at least begun the process of doing so.
While the scheduled 90% target was passed as scheduled by the end of 2023, the remaining 10% has presented the biggest challenges, with only another 1% of trusts having successfully moved to an EPR by May 2025.
The original project timeline, which ran until March of this year, was also pushed back by 12 months after “a number of NHS trusts” instructed the DHSC that they were “unlikely” to meet the target.
Related content
- ‘Disparity in investment over two decades’ has created uneven digital maturity across NHS, minister says
- How digital patient records will transform Northern Irish healthcare
- Review finds ‘lack of appetite’ for NHS-built electronic patient records
As the new March 2026 cut-off has grown closer, NHS England is providing “tailored support” to the 20 or so trusts yet to make the switch – including around eight organisations that ministers have previously warned may fail to make the extended deadline.
But, according to the recent update from DHSC boss Jones, who also serves as the project’s formal accounting officer, “the programme is on track to achieve 100% coverage by March 2026, with all trusts having implemented or being in the process of implementing an EPR”.
“The Frontline Digitisation Programme has been successful in getting investment to the frontline to help the NHS reach the 100% EPR coverage target,” her assessment says. “The detailed understanding of system capability gained through this programme has identified that significant central support will be required in future years. This includes both financial and policy-based support to create foundational change and optimise the digital landscape, including investment in hosting, networks and end-user devices.
The document adds: “The ambition is to make sure that the coverage achieved is successfully turned into effective capability by building on the investment to increase productivity, fully using the assets that have been created over the four years of Frontline Digitisation investment. This will support the shift from analogue to digital, from hospital to community and enable the shift from treatment to prevention in line with 10 Year Health Plan. The intention is that this change will be led by the Frontline Productivity Programme as part of the next Spending Review.”
The major project officially began work in April 2022 and has estimated overall costs of £2.035bn during its four-year lifespan.
The newly released leadership review assesses the programme of work against four metrics: propriety; regularity; value for money and feasibility. Jones signs off the project’s current status in all four areas.
“In conclusion, as accounting officer, I am clear of the case for change and business requirements,” she says. “Providing a digitised health and care system where the health service and its users have the digital services and access to information they need to effectively manage and improve health and wellbeing is at the heart of the programme. The programme continues to support this vision by ‘levelling up’ trusts to a core level of digitisation, as set out in the What Good Looks Like framework. This will enable frontline clinical staff to make best use of digital technology to provide care efficiently, effectively and safely, reducing variations and improving quality and outcomes.”
