New digital medicines system at UHCW set to save nurses time and support safer care

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust has launched a first-of-its-kind interoperable digital medicines management system, designed to cut nurse administration time and improve patient safety.

As a ‘first-of-type’ project, the initiative integrates Omnicell’s automated dispensing cabinets and robotic dispensing system, with Oracle Health’s Electronic Patient Record (EPR). While this functionality has already been successfully deployed in the US, this project marks its first-ever implementation within England.

Previously, clinicians at the Trust had to navigate multiple separate systems to prescribe, locate and dispense medication. Now they have real-time visibility of stock levels across the entire hospital directly within the patient's EPR - what is stocked on the wards, what is available elsewhere and what needs to be ordered from central pharmacy.

Developed in close collaboration with frontline nursing, pharmacy, and digital clinical teams, the new system could transform daily workflows across the Trust, while strengthening medicine governance and patient care, and reducing waste.

• For Nurses: Instead of constantly moving between the EPR, treatment rooms and dispensing cabinets to locate medication, nurses can now work within a single, integrated system. This reduces unnecessary steps and time away from the bedside, and allows for more hands-on patient care.
• For Pharmacy Teams: The solution ensures only active, clinically verified orders can be selected, reducing the risk of dispensing errors. Richer, real-time data also supports sharper inventory optimisation, reducing medication waste across the hospital.
• For Patient Safety: By supporting closed-loop medicines administration and barcode scanning, the system minimises the risk of delayed doses, omitted medications and human error, while enabling robust auditing and verification.

As a first-of-type NHS England–supported programme, the Trust, Omnicell and Oracle Health are actively capturing insights and will be sharing best practice to help other Trusts adopt similar interoperable digital medicines management systems.

Professor Tracey Brigstock, Chief Nursing Officer at UHCW NHS Trust, said: “For our nursing teams, this new system means they can begin a medication round knowing exactly where medicines are, how to obtain them, and that the process is both efficient and safe. For patients, it reduces delays and builds safety into every step of the medicines pathway.”

Hardeep Bagga, Director of Pharmacy at UHCW NHS Trust, said: “We had great systems in place, but they weren’t talking to each other. This was the missing piece we needed to solve to truly achieve end-to-end digital medicines management.”

Candice McGrane, Digital Lead for Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs and Deputy CNIO at UHCW NHS Trust, added: “Co-design with frontline teams was essential. Our focus was ensuring this integration reduced system hopping, supported safer decision-making, and genuinely gave time back to nurses, rather than adding complexity. This has been about getting the workflow right for staff and patients.”

Ed Platt, Senior Commercial Director UK & Ireland at Omnicell, said: “This implementation demonstrates the real value of interoperability when it is clinically led. By integrating Omnicell automation with the Oracle Health EPR, UHCW now has a single, real-time view of medicines availability embedded directly into clinical workflows.

“As an NHS England–sponsored first-of-type programme, it provides a scalable and repeatable blueprint for other Trusts seeking to unlock the full value of their digital infrastructure.”