Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Trust Selects Epic for Groundbreaking EPR Transformation

By Anushka Malhotra

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Tech

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Quick Read: Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust embarks on a digital transformation with Epic, selecting the renowned EPR solution to replace outdated systems. This move positions BWC as a leader in healthcare innovation, streamlining patient care management and supporting NHS England’s broader digitization initiative.

Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has inked a pivotal contract with Epic to implement its electronic patient record (EPR) solution, initiating a significant digital overhaul at the renowned specialist center. As the first of its kind, this move positions BWC, a leader in women’s and children’s services, at the forefront of healthcare innovation.

The Epic EPR solution is set to replace outdated IT systems, including patient administration and legacy specialty systems, fostering greater cohesion across the trust’s extensive range of specialized services. Despite facing legacy system challenges, BWC prioritized immediate patient needs during the pandemic. Now, with the Epic partnership, the trust aims to revolutionize patient care management, ensuring consistency, user-friendliness, and the tools for innovation.

Matt Boazman, Chief Executive, highlighted the transformative impact of a single EPR system, enhancing oversight, integrating records, and delivering benefits to both staff and patients. The trust aspires to reduce its carbon footprint by minimizing paper reliance and engage patients in their care management.

Leslie Selby, Vice President of Epic, emphasized the collaborative impact of the Epic community in transforming patient care. With NHS England’s substantial investment in digitization, BWC's adoption of Epic aligns with the broader initiative to equip health and care staff with efficient electronic patient record systems, ultimately enhancing care delivery and outcomes.

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West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator Unlocks Nearly £50M in Private Investment

The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA), led by the University of Birmingham, has generated an impressive £49.4 million in private co-investment within its first two years, significantly surpassing its original £14.5 million public funding allocation.

Funded through the Innovation Accelerator programme, coordinated by Innovate UK, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and UK Research and Innovation, WMHTIA has become a leading force in advancing health technology innovation across the region.

The majority of the private investment—£36.3 million—was directly committed by investors to enterprises supported by the Accelerator. This achievement represents a threefold return on the initial public investment, demonstrating the strong investor confidence in the region’s health tech sector.

Powering Health Innovation Through Collaboration

The WMHTIA brings together 21 partners from academia, industry, and the NHS to help healthtech companies develop, validate, and commercialise cutting-edge medical technologies. So far, companies supported through the programme have also secured an additional £10 million in national public grants from agencies including NIHR, Eureka, and Innovate UK.

Including both public and private contributions, the total investment leveraged by WMHTIA now stands at £67.3 million.

Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Birmingham:

We’re proud to support startups through the riskiest stages of innovation so more life-saving technologies reach patients. This exceptional investment proves what’s possible when academia, the NHS, and industry work together to drive economic growth and better health outcomes.

In March 2025, the Innovation Accelerator programme was extended with a further £30 million, including £4 million for the WMHTIA to continue supporting the region’s innovators in 2025/26.

Backing the Future of Health Tech

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands:

The West Midlands is leading medical tech innovation—from faster diagnoses to shorter hospital stays. Healthtech isn’t just improving lives; it’s creating secure, high-value jobs that drive inclusive growth.

Dean Cook, Executive Director of Place and Global, Innovate UK:

This programme shows how place-based innovation can unlock greater business investment in R&D. By connecting the region’s strengths, we’re creating high-value jobs and building globally significant innovation capability.

The WMHTIA continues to strengthen the region’s reputation as a national hub for health technology, with far-reaching benefits for patient care, job creation, and regional economic development.

By Anushka Malhotra

24 Jun