- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and Essex Partnership University Trust plan to implement the Oracle Health EPR system next year.
- The ‘Nova’ system will replace a total of 10 legacy patient record systems across both trusts.
- The rollout is scheduled to occur in phases, starting from winter 2026 and continuing through spring 2027.
Starting in 2026, an electronic patient record (EPR) system provided by Oracle Health will be deployed across Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) and Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT).
In a board report published in August 2025, Matthew Hopkins, Chief Executive of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT), stated: “Our most significant digital transformation will come with the rollout of Nova, our new unified electronic patient record system.
“This single system, which will replace the 10 separate systems currently used by us and our colleagues at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), will revolutionize how we collaborate as one integrated health system to provide seamless care for people living in mid and south Essex.”
A spokesperson for the trusts noted that the EPR is expected to be implemented in phases from winter 2026 through spring 2027. The new system will enhance clinicians’ ability to access patients’ health and care information in real-time through a unified platform that integrates physical and mental health services.
They added that this innovation aims to improve patient experience by eliminating the need for individuals to repeatedly share their health or care history during appointments. It also supports the goals set out in the NHS 10-year health plan, published on 3 July 2025, which emphasizes digital improvements to enable better, more connected care.
Zephan Trent, Executive Lead for Strategy and Transformation at EPUT and MSEFT, told Digital Health News: “The introduction of a single patient record system across our hospitals, mental health, and community services will transform patient care. It will equip healthcare professionals with up-to-date patient information at all times, enabling them to provide the highest quality care to our wider community.”
In June 2025, MSEFT signed a 15-year agreement with SYNLAB to provide a unified ‘hub and spoke’ pathology service covering blood, tissue, and other sample testing, along with phlebotomy clinics for mid and south Essex.
Starting in October 2026, this contract will consolidate pathology services supporting GP practices and clinicians across Basildon, Broomfield, and Southend hospitals, serving a patient population of 1.2 million.
