Contract to modernise and digitise the Armed Forces’ medical record

Homeland January 30, 2026

The NIHR has partnered with the Defence Medical Services (DMS) to co-fund research career development opportunities for healthcare professionals serving in the military.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced the award of a £7.8 million contract to Leeds-based software specialist The Phoenix Partnership (TPP) to modernise and digitise the Armed Forces’ medical record system.

This initiative, part of the wider Programme Cortisone, aims to replace decades-old paper-based records with a secure digital platform fully integrated with the National Health Service (NHS). For businesses operating within the defence technology and digital services sectors, this project underscores the government’s commitment to the Defence Industrial Strategy, which prioritises investment in UK-based Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to drive domestic innovation and regional economic growth.

By 2027, the new electronic health record system is expected to significantly reduce administrative delays in the recruitment process and improve the operational readiness of active personnel. Currently, the reliance on manual paperwork for transferring health records between the NHS and Defence Medical Services often hampers the speed at which recruits can enter formal training. The new platform will allow for the seamless, near-instantaneous exchange of data, ensuring that medical histories are readily accessible to military clinicians during both routine operations and active deployments. This digitisation is critical for maintaining a “deployable and ready force” capable of responding to evolving global threats without the friction of legacy administrative systems.

This contract follows the recent £2.5 million award for the Mercury application, a secure mobile tool that enables frontline medics to access military medical records during exercises and operations. Together, these investments under Programme Cortisone – a joint initiative between Defence Medical Services and Defence Digital – form a cohesive digital infrastructure designed to meet modern operational requirements. For the UK defence supply chain, these developments highlight a clear procurement trend toward interoperable digital systems and the use of sovereign software expertise to solve complex logistical challenges.

Beyond operational readiness, the new system is designed to improve the transition for service leavers as they return to civilian life. The integration with the NHS ensures that veterans will no longer face the burden of manually chasing health records to secure continued care from civilian providers. This initiative is further bolstered by an additional £1.8 million government investment over three years for a national NHS training programme. This programme is designed to ensure that healthcare staff across England are equipped to deliver personalised care to veterans and their families, fulfilling the requirements of the Armed Forces Covenant. For industry partners, these projects demonstrate how defence investment is being leveraged to improve personnel welfare while simultaneously supporting high-skilled British jobs.

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