NHS spends £240m storing patient records as digital reforms gather pace
pharmafile | August 13, 2026 | News story | | NHS, Single Patient Record, The King’s Fund, digital reform
The NHS spent almost £240m storing patient records in 2024/25, according to analysis by The King’s Fund, highlighting the continued reliance on paper-based systems as the government prepares to introduce a Single Patient Record.
The think tank found that NHS organisations spent an average of £1.22m each on record storage during the year. More than 200 NHS sites continue to rely entirely on paper records, with previous research estimating that paper records alone cost the health service £230m in 2023/24.
The findings come as the government progresses legislation to support the introduction of a Single Patient Record (SPR), which aims to give clinicians and patients a unified view of medical records across hospitals, GP practices and other care settings.
Fragmented record systems can result in patients repeatedly explaining their medical history and clinicians spending valuable time locating information held by different organisations. In some cases, healthcare professionals may need to make urgent treatment decisions without access to a patient’s complete medical record.
Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, said: “A Single Patient Record has the potential to transform how patients experience care and how staff deliver it by creating a unified view of a patient’s medical record.”
She added that while the proposed legislation would lay the foundations for the new system, successful implementation would depend on sustained investment in digital infrastructure, staff training and maintaining public confidence in how health data is used.
The report also highlighted wider concerns over record quality, citing Healthwatch research showing that almost one in four adults had identified inaccuracies or missing information in their medical records.
MPs are expected to continue scrutiny of the Health Bill after Parliament returns from the summer recess.
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