The Walton Centre, a specialist neurosciences hospital in the UK, has successfully implemented a comprehensive digitisation of its patient records, resulting in notable improvements in clinical efficiency, patient safety, and staff wellbeing.
This initiative was launched in response to a 2019 Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection, which highlighted concerns over the hospital’s mixed use of paper and digital notes, posing potential clinical risks. To address this, the Trust undertook a competitive tender process that led to selecting Apogee’s document scanning and data capture services.
Today, the majority of patient records have been scanned and integrated into the hospital’s electronic patient record (EPR) system. This integration allows clinicians instant access to complete, real-time patient information, including medical histories, treatment plans, and device data, directly at the point of care. The project also includes an in-house scanning facility that ensures newly generated patient documents are added to the EPR within 48 hours of outpatient visits or within seven days following hospital discharge.
The impact of this digitisation effort has been profound. It has enabled the hospital to redeploy its medical records staff to higher-value tasks, thereby improving patient flow and operational efficiency. One of the most significant achievements has been clearing a backlog of 5,000 patient referrals. Additionally, new patient registrations are now conducted upon arrival, streamlining administrative processes. The move away from paper records aligns with the hospital’s broader goal of becoming ‘paper light’ by 2026 and achieving digital maturity in line with NHS Digital Strategy.
“They are more than just a supplier — they are an integrated extension of our team. We were initially nervous about digitising such a high volume of records, but Apogee responded with professionalism, expertise, and valuable solutions, helping us meet our operational goals,” said Sam Holman, Head of Transformation and Corporate Operations at The Walton Centre.
