Health & Lifestyle | Posted on August 20th, 2025 | return to news

Major milestone for Dorset’s digital care record scheme

The Dorset Care Record has saved the county £11.6m in time-efficiency benefits in the past year.

Dorset’s integrated electronic health and care record — the Dorset Care Record (DCR) — has hit a major milestone as more than 10,000 healthcare professionals are now trained to use it.

The DCR provides real-time, 24-hour access to vital health and social care information, which saves time, improves patient outcomes and avoids duplicating data.

These digital patient records were accessed more than 175,000 times in July — a new record — mostly by staff at University Hospitals Dorset.

According to Dorset Council, users are saving more than 30 minutes a day thanks to DCR, as they no longer have to call or email GPs or other services to access patient information.

And these 30 minutes add up. The council estimates that the DCR accrued more than £11.6m worth of time-efficiency benefits last year, up from £8.7m in 2023/24.

Councillor Steve Robinson, Cabinet portfolio lead for Adult Social Care, said he was delighted with the progress of the shared care record. He added: “Uptake of the DCR has grown substantially in recent times and it is making a huge difference for our residents.

“By having immediate access to vital information, it gives a more rounded picture of a patient’s health, enabling informed decisions to be made at the right time and the right place,” he added.