Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has been ranked as the most digitally mature acute trust in the NHS, according to the latest national Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA).
The recognition reflects several years of sustained investment and transformation, positioning digital as a core enabler of safe, effective and efficient care across MFT’s acute hospitals.
The Digital Maturity Assessment is a nationally run, annual assessment that evaluates how effectively NHS trusts and integrated care boards use digital technology to support patient care, staff and organisational priorities.
Aligned to NHS England’s What Good Looks Like framework, the DMA provides an independent benchmark across key areas including leadership, clinical safety, workforce capability, data quality, digital infrastructure and system integration.
Rather than focusing solely on the presence of technology, the assessment looks at how well digital is embedded into everyday practice, from clinical workflows and decision‑making to operational processes and service improvement.
The DMA comprises around 160 detailed questions, completed at executive level and subject to validation across organisations.
It assesses how organisations use digital to deliver tangible benefits, including safer care, improved staff experience, better use of data and more integrated services.
MFT’s top ranking reflects strong performance across these domains, highlighting both technical capability and organisational maturity.
A major driver of MFT’s progress has been the implementation of Hive, the Trust’s electronic patient record (EPR) system, which went live in 2022.
Hive replaced hundreds of separate legacy systems with a single, shared patient record across MFT’s acute services. This transformation has enabled clinicians and operational teams to access real‑time, up‑to‑date patient information, supporting faster, safer and more consistent decision‑making.
By consolidating patient information into one record, Hive has:
- Reduced duplication for patients and staff
- Improved clinical visibility across services
- Supported safer handovers and continuity of care
- Enabled better use of data for planning and improvement
While much of this digital infrastructure is not directly visible to patients, it underpins the safe, reliable and coordinated delivery of care across the Trust every day.
Manchester University NHS FT’s Chief Digital Information Officer, Professor David Walker, 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.”
Digital maturity at MFT is characterised by strong leadership, clear governance and close collaboration between clinical, operational and digital teams, ensuring technology supports frontline staff rather than adding burden.
The Trust’s top DMA ranking places MFT at the forefront of NHS digital transformation and provides a strong platform for future innovation, including data‑driven improvement, system collaboration and digitally enabled models of care.
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