First A&E department rolls out digital prescribing in major upgrade

The Emergency Unit at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales (UHW) has become the first in Wales to scrap paper drug charts entirely and switch to a full electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) system.

The move marks a major milestone in Wales’ digital health transformation programme, with the country’s busiest emergency department now prescribing, tracking and administering medication electronically for all patients.

The system went live in the Emergency Unit in December, and staff handled 721 patients in the first fortnight, administering more than 4,000 medicines digitally without reverting to paper.

Rollout

The ePMA programme — delivered by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board with support from Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) and software provider Nervecentre — began in the summer, with nephrology and transplant wards going live first.

Around 40% of inpatient areas across UHW now use the system, with further rollouts planned throughout 2026. University Hospital Llandough will begin using ePMA this month.

Ultimately, the aim is for all inpatients across Cardiff and Vale to be covered, eliminating handwritten charts and ensuring information follows patients between wards and care teams.

Errors

For frontline staff, the shift means fewer errors and less time chasing clarifications.

Gladys, a nurse on one of the medical wards, said the old system could lead to mistakes or delays.

“We’ve been on paper charts for a long time, but sometimes we couldn’t read a prescription properly,” she said. “We had to go back to doctors to check what was prescribed. Now the handwriting barrier is gone.”

The digital platform includes built-in safety checks, alerting staff to allergies, incorrect doses and potential drug interactions. It also notifies nurses when medicines are due.

“It’s easy to use and makes communication between nurses, doctors and other staff much easier,” Gladys added. “I’ve adjusted to it — it’s very good.”

Benefits

Clinicians and digital leads say the benefits extend beyond A&E.Project lead pharmacist Rhodri Clyburn praised the rollout team and ward staff for embracing change.

“The implementation has progressed exceptionally well,” he said. “We are proud of what we have achieved so far and grateful to colleagues across UHW for their patience and professionalism.”

The programme sits within the Welsh NHS’ wider Digital Medicines Transformation portfolio, which aims to link prescribing, dispensing and administration systems across hospitals, GPs and pharmacies in the coming years.