The NSW Government has announced that work is underway on a new single digital patient record (SDPR) system, stating that the current system for noting health data is ‘complex, cumbersome and outdated’. Currently, there are nine systems used for electronic medical records, 10 patient administration systems and five pathology laboratory information management systems in use across NSW Health. The department is now working on a single streamlined system to record patient files and to replace and consolidate current systems. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the SDPR system will “deliver healthcare workers and their patients with consistent, timely and secure health information”. “A consolidated and centralised record-keeping system will provide a holistic and integrated view of the care a patient receives right across the NSW public health system,” Park explained. The current systems are not connected statewide, and data is often unable to be shared or integrated in real-time, creating duplicate data collection and information gaps in decisionmaking, resulting in patients having to repeat medical information. The new system is hoped to improve patient experience through better continuity of care and provide patients with secure access to relevant medical data to help them make informed care choices and self-manage their own health and wellbeing. JG