LONDON, Jan. 23 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Military records are to be digitised and integrated with the NHS for the first time, in a move which will boost recruitment,improvedeployabilityand transform the experience for recruits and service leavers.
Archaic paper-based records, which dateback decades,willbe scraped and replaced with a modern digital system,already widely used by the NHS.
Currently, transferring health records between the NHS and Defence Medical Services relies on time-consuming paperwork that slows recruitment and harmshow quickly personnel can be deployed on operations.Similarly, when leaving the military, service leaverswill also have aseamless transition.
The MOD has awarded a £7.8 million contract to Leeds-based software company The Phoenix Partnership for the newtech.By2027,the new system will helpgetrecruits through the door and into training faster, and ensuring serving personnel are ready when needed.
Minister for Veterans People, LouiseSandher-JonesMPsaid:
Our Armed Forces deserve a healthcare system as modern as they are. For too long, paper-based records have slowed down recruitment and created unnecessary headaches for those leaving the military.
This new system will cut through the bureaucracy, getting recruits into uniform faster and ensuring veterans transition smoothly to civilian life. It's a concrete example of this government delivering on our promise to renew the nation'scontract withthose who serve - and proof that defence investment means British jobs and British growth.
For service leavers, the change deliversthegovernment's promise to renew the contract with those who serveand have served. Personnel transitioning to civilian life will no longer face the burden of chasing paperwork or waiting for health records to reach their NHS providers.
The contractdemonstrateshow the Defence Industrial Strategy is making defence an engine for growth, supportinginnovation andjobs across theUKand increasing MOD spending with small and medium enterprises.
This builds on the recent award of a £2.5 million contract for the Mercury application, which enables Defence medics to securely access military medical records during operations and exercises. Both contracts have been overseen byProgramme Cortisone,aDefence Medical Services and Defence Digitalinitiativeto replace outdated systems with a secure, modern platform.
CEO at The Phoenix Partnership, Charlotte Knowlessaid:
We are extremely proud that the Ministry of Defence has chosen our modern electronic health record system. It is an immense honour to support the delivery of GP, community and rehabilitation services for our Armed Forces and their families, across all four nations of the UK. It is a privilege to be able to help those who serve our country. The partnership between the Ministry of Defence and TPP will deliver the world's most advanced digital health platform for the Royal Navy, BritishArmyand Royal Air Force - now and into the future.
We are excited to help deliver Programme CORTISONE. It will foster deeper collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the NHS - providing insight,innovationand continuous improvements in care delivery.
Commander Defence Primary Healthcare, Surgeon Commodore Andy Nelstrop, said:
This is fantastic news. The Phoenix Partnership is a market leader, with a proventrack recordin NHS Primary Care, and I look forward to working with them to improve our medical information systems. This will lead us to safer, more effective andbetter connectedcare provision for our patients.
Commander Cyber & Specialist Operations Command, General Sir Jim Hockenhull, said:
Modern, secure digital systems are essential to maintaining a deployable and ready force. This new electronic health records system will give our Armed Forces the digital infrastructure they need - speeding up recruitment, improving the flow of information, and ensuring our people can focus on the mission rather than paperwork. It's exactly the kind of modernisation we need to keep pace with the threats we face.
In November,the government rolled out a new NHS programme to ensure veterans, serving personnel,reservistsand their families to receive better healthcare in recognition of their service.
The new programme - backed by £1.8 million over 3 years - is being rolled out acrossEngland toensure NHS staff across the country are trained to deliver personalised and targeted healthcare to armed forces personnel and their families.
The national training and education plan will support all NHS bodies todemonstratetheir commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
This will ensure those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly and not disadvantaged because of their service in the armedforces, andreduce inequalities and variation in veterans' healthcare.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
