Electronic Patient Record (EPR)
We are really excited to be working on one of the biggest digital transformations we’ve ever undertaken – moving from paper-based patient records and manual systems to one single electronic Devon wide system.
The new One Devon electronic patient record (EPR) will bring together all patient records across three partners:
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
An EPR is the collection of patient health information in a digital format, that can be shared across different health care settings. It will include a range of data, including medical history, medication and allergies, immunisation status, laboratory test results, radiology images, vital signs and personal statistics like age and weight. It will also be the place where we book appointments, request tests and prescribe medicines.
There is also a patient portal called MY CARE which patients in East and North Devon have already been experiencing the benefits of. MY CARE gives patients access to their hospital information in one convenient place through their computer, phone or tablet.
With secure, immediate access to live patient records, the new system will give clinical staff more time to deliver higher quality and safer care. For patients, this will mean they don’t have to remember their medical history or repeat the same information making their care journey more joined-up. The One Devon EPR will be available in Spring / Summer 2026.
Patient benefits
The electronic patient record will provide safer services and involve new ways of interacting with all the hospitals in Devon.
Some of the key benefits that an EPR will bring to patients:
- you will be safer – the EPR will flag up things like allergies and past interventions.
- you will be able to access test results, appointment details and other information about your hospital care together in one convenient, secure place.
- these changes will allow you to engage with your care much better and strengthen the partnership between you and clinical services.
- patients at the Royal Devon are already empowered by MY CARE. They say that it is easy-to-use and that it helps them feel in control.
- families and carers will be able to have health records shared with them so that they can support the health of their family member or the person they care for.
- it will improve the experience of joined-up care by providing staff with safe and instant access to the information they need to help you. This means you don’t have to remember your medical history or repeat the same information to different members of staff no matter where you are in Devon.
Patient frequently asked questions
An EPR system is a digital platform that brings all your patient information, from medical history to results of investigations and medications prescribed, together in one place.
Currently we hold your records in different places, such as paper-based notes and on several digital systems.
Once we implement an EPR system, all your medical information will be kept together in one single electronic patient record. This means your clinician can see everything relating to your care in real time, helping to improve the quality of care we provide. It also means as a patient, you only need to give us your information once.
The system we are introducing is called Epic.
Epic has a strong track record in collaborating with the NHS, having worked with many trusts to deliver their EPRs including Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust under their MY CARE programme. Both Torbay and South Devon and Plymouth went through extensive procurement processes to determine which EPR would be right for the staff and patients in their areas.
Having access to all your information in one place will help improve the quality of care we provide. For example, clinicians will have a full picture of your medical history and treatment in our Trust at their fingertips, which will help inform and speed up decision-making.
We can also run services and manage our hospitals more efficiently as your information is added to your record and available in real time. This means at any given point we can see where a patient is in our hospitals, what beds are free, and when a patient may be ready to go home.
Across the country, NHS England is providing funding to NHS trusts to ensure they all meet a core level of digitisation and have electronic patient record systems in place.
If you want to find out more, please visit: NHS Royal Devon – FAQs