Paperless NHS 'Could Save Billions'

A paperless NHS could save billions of pounds a year, a report has suggested.

The report by PwC has lead to health secretary Jeremy Hunt to say he wants the NHS to be paperless by 2018.

In a speech to the think tank Policy Exchange, Mr Hunt will say a first step is to give people online access to their health records by March 2015.

And by April 2018, any crucial health information should be available to staff at the touch of a button.

PwC suggests a potential £4.4bn could be put back into the NHS with better use of information and technology.

Mr Hunt's predecessor Andrew Lansley first pledged in 2010 to start an information revolution to ensure patients could use the web to report their experiences, rate NHS organisations and access their records so there would be "no decision about me, without me".

In his speech, Mr Hunt will say hospitals should plan to make information digitally and securely available by 2014-15.

This will means that different professionals involved in one person's care can start to share information safely on their treatment.

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