Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) has partnered with EDM Group to scan and digitise new and existing paper medical records.

EDM Group, a document scanning service, is expected to scan over 140 million images for the NNUH in the first year of the contract. This will be followed by a programme of scanning over subsequent years to ensure NNUH becomes paper-free in the shortest possible time frame. 

In total, around 236 million images are expected to be captured over four years.

According to EDM Group, the digitisation transformation project will release space, time and resources while having a significant impact on the quality of the working lives of NHS staff.

It will also enable clinicians to make fully informed decisions on the basis of readily available information.

Following an open tender procurement process, EDM Group secured the contract in competition with five other companies.

EDM Group currently provides document management services to 40 NHS Trusts.

Anthony Lundrigan, chief information officer at NNUH, commented: “This contract is a key part of our strategy to transform digital care at NNUH. It will introduce new ways of working, making it easier for staff to access and read a patient’s health records, therefore improving care and reducing costs for the NHS.”

Ruth Gooda, head of healthcare at EDM Group, said: “EDM Group is very proud to have been awarded this high profile contract, which plays to our strengths, experience and expertise. We see it as a great opportunity to demonstrate our considerable capabilities in this area and we are looking forward to successfully delivering one of the largest NHS Trust digitisation contracts awarded in recent years.”