Sheffield Children’s receives £1.5 million to introduce electronic prescriptions 

Sheffield Children’s has committed to moving its prescription services from paper to digital by 2023 following the allocation of almost £1.5 million in government funding.

Joanne Wragg, the Trust’s Director of Pharmacy, said: “It’s great news that we’ve got the funding to make such important changes. Not only will the introduction of electronic prescriptions mean an improvement in patient safety, it will also enable us to increase the amount of time we have to care for our patients. Ultimately, like everything we do, this is about a better experience for our patients and their families.

“As with any changes to large and vital systems, it will take time to implement, but we’re confident that by 2023 all our patients will be receiving their prescription services digitally.”

In November 2020, it was announced by the Department of Health and Social Care that Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust was one of 16 hospitals across England to be allocated funding to introduce electronic prescriptions. The Trust will receive £1,485,000. The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment to introduce digital prescribing across the entire NHS by 2024.

Joanne Wragg added: “We’re very aware of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic response will continue to have on activities across the NHS, but our Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) project team has been working hard for the past six months in readiness for implementing this system.”