England’s health service is still spending about £240 million a year storing patient records on paper, according to a recent BMJ report that highlights how slowly the NHS has moved away from manual record keeping. The article says only 39 of 184 hospital trusts in England reported using fully electronic clinical record systems, leaving paper at the centre of day-to-day administration more than two decades after ministers first set digital ambitions for the service.
Paper files remain embedded across trusts
The BMJ report describes a system in which many hospitals still rely on physical files for core clinical work, with paper storage continuing to create financial pressure at a time when services are under strain. It adds that the persistence of paper is not just a technical issue, but one that affects efficiency, access to information, and the wider push for modernised care delivery.
The findings sit alongside broader concerns raised in recent BMJ coverage about NHS digital transformation, including warnings that long-promised change has moved unevenly across trusts. The report also notes that the issue is especially striking because the health service has been trying to reduce dependence on paper for years, yet full digitisation remains far from universal.
Why the cost matters now
According to the BMJ analysis, the cost of storing paper records is rising at the same time as hospitals face pressure from overcrowding, staffing shortages, and demand that continues to outpace capacity. That combination makes the digital gap more than an administrative inconvenience: it is a recurring expense that diverts money from frontline care and slows the flow of information between teams.
Recent BMJ news items have also pointed to wider operational problems across the NHS, from delays in emergency departments to concerns about outdated systems and heavy administrative burdens. Against that backdrop, the paper-records bill has become another example of how long-standing infrastructure problems can translate into real costs for patients and staff.
Digital reform remains a live NHS issue
The BMJ’s reporting suggests the challenge is no longer whether the NHS should digitise, but how quickly it can do so without leaving trusts trapped between old systems and new expectations. The article points to the need for more consistent rollout if England is to reduce waste, improve access to records, and make care less dependent on paper-based workflows.
For now, the numbers underline a familiar pattern: technology programmes may be announced with long-term ambitions, but implementation can take years to reach the point where patients and staff feel the difference. The continued £240 million annual bill for paper storage suggests the NHS is still paying the price of that delay.
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