Professor Adrian Harris, Royal Devon Medical Director (Digital and Research) and Principal Owner Responsible for the One Devon EPR Program (Credit: Royal Devon)
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust are launching an Epic electronic patient record (EPR) this week.
The system will go live on April 3, 2026 and will bring together patient health information in a digital format that can be shared across different healthcare settings in Devon.
It will include a variety of medical data, including medications and allergies, lab test results, radiology images, and vital signs.
Staff and patients at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have already experienced the benefits of Epic EPR, which was introduced for East Devon in 2020 and North Devon in 2022.
Torbay and South Devon and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust signed a contract with Epic for the system in January 2025 as part of a shared vision to implement a single EPR in Devon under the A Devon EPR Program.
Professor Adrian Harris, medical director (digital and research) at Royal Devon and lead owner responsible for the One Devon EPR programme, said: “This is simply one of the biggest changes to healthcare in Devon in a generation.
“The introduction of a single county-wide EPR will deliver many benefits over the coming years as more comprehensive data, delivered in real time, will support the delivery of better patient outcomes, higher quality research and advanced service planning.”
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust plans to launch the EPR on 23 July 2026. When this happens, the new EPR will create a single EPR system for staff across multiple hospitals and community sites in Devon.
For patients, this will mean that no matter which hospital they attend in Devon, they will not have to remember their medical history or repeat the same information to different members of staff.
Adel Jones, chief operating officer at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Colleagues are very excited about our new EPR and I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to prepare for the launch.
“As we become familiar with our new system, patient safety and care will remain our top priority, and we will continue to provide the highest quality of care possible.
“We ask our patients, their families and carers to bear with us over the next few days as colleagues get used to the new system. If you have concerns or need additional help with your care at any time, please speak to your clinical team.”
As part of the EPR launch, the new MY CARE patient portal, an app and online service that puts care information in the hands of patients, will be available.
MY CARE summarizes patients’ medical information and interactions with their clinical team in one place. It also allows patients to securely and easily access some elements of their medical history, including appointment data, giving them more control over their care.
Last month, four NHS trusts in Dorset and Somerset signed a £222 million contract with Epic to roll out a unified EPR system across the region, due to launch in April 2028.
