Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) has been ranked as the most digitally mature acute trust in the NHS, following the latest national Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA).
The DMA is an annual, nationally run assessment that measures how effectively NHS trusts and integrated care boards use digital to support patient care, staff and organisational priorities. It provides an independent benchmark of digital capability across areas such as leadership, clinical safety, workforce, data, infrastructure and system integration, aligned to NHS England’s What Good Looks Like framework.
What the Digital Maturity Assessment measures
The assessment comprises around 160 questions, completed at executive level and subject to validation across organisations. It looks beyond the presence of technology alone, focusing on how effectively digital is embedded in day‑to‑day operations, clinical workflows and decision‑making, and how it supports safer, more efficient care.
Building strong digital foundations at MFT
MFT’s ranking reflects several years of sustained work to put strong digital foundations in place across its acute hospitals. A major driver of this progress has been Hive, the Trust’s electronic patient record (EPR), which went live in 2022.
Hive has replaced hundreds of separate systems with a single, shared patient record across MFT’s acute services. This enables clinicians and operational teams to access up‑to‑date patient information in real time, reduces duplication for patients, and supports safer, more consistent clinical decision‑making.
While much of this work sits behind the scenes, it underpins the safe and reliable delivery of care for patients across MFT every day.
Recognition of progress
Professor David Walliker, Chief Digital Information Officer at MFT, said:
“This ranking reflects the strength of the digital foundations we’ve put in place and the sustained work of teams across MFT to improve how care is delivered day to day.
Digital maturity is about making it easier for colleagues to access the information they need, reduce duplication and support safer care. Being ranked most digitally mature is an important recognition of the progress made across our acute services.”