From buying systems to delivering returns: The NHS frontline productivity reset

The NHS in England is approaching near-universal Electronic Patient Record (EPR) coverage. By March 2026, 95% of trusts are expected to have implemented or significantly upgraded an EPR, supported by £1.9 billion to establish a baseline level of digital capability (NHS England, n.d.; Lawrence & Krelle, 2025). EPRs sit at the centre of the government’s strategic shifts: from analogue to digital, fr