The NHS spends £240million a year storing patient records in boxes and filing cabinets, as hundreds of sites remain entirely reliant on paper, according to the King's Fund think-tank.
Only five NHS trusts in England have fully digitised patient records, despite Government pledges to make the NHS paperless, the King's Fund found. There are still 209 NHS sites, such as diagnostic centres or clinics, that use only paper records, based on the think-tank's analysis of medical records data.
Most NHS hospitals use a combination of digital and paper records to keep information including appointment notes, letters and scan results. But most do not have enough space on site to store paper files, meaning they must rent storage units or buildings at taxpayers' expense. The NHS spent £239.5million storing patient records in 2024-25, including stationery fees for boxes, folders and filing cabinets.
Decades of paperless pledges
Jeremy Hunt, the then Conservative Health Secretary, said in 2013 that the NHS should be paperless by 2018, and the NHS promised to be paper-free at the point of care by 2020. The Government's ten-year health plan, published last year, outlined a move from analogue to digital, with a single patient record from 2028 to replace paper systems. That record would store all medical information in one place on the NHS App and let doctors and nurses see the medical history of any patient attending an A&E unit or hospital anywhere in the UK.
King's Fund calls it 'NHS waste'
Sarah Woolnough, head of the King's Fund, said the cost of storing paper records was an example of NHS waste that had to be tackled. She told The Times that the NHS had to spend people's money wisely and use every penny to deliver the best care, calling it a flagrant example of money being spent where it doesn't need to be. Woolnough said the NHS had committed to being a paperless institution for many years, so having 200 sites still completely reliant on paper was disappointing, frustrating and antiquated.
She said paper records meant things could get lost and there could be inaccuracies that affect patient care. Research by Healthwatch shows that nearly one in four adults report inaccuracies or missing details in their medical records.
Single patient record debate ahead
The King's Fund said the findings highlighted the importance of implementing a single patient record, which MPs will debate next month as part of a health bill going through Parliament. Woolnough said patients should not have to repeatedly tell their story as they move through the system, and staff should be able to access the information they need to provide timely and effective care. The NHS has been approached for comment.
