The armed forces are spending £7.8m to scrap their traditional paper-based medical record system and transition to a digital one.
By 2027, the current “archaic” paper-based system, which has been around since the First World War, will be replaced with digitised records currently used by the NHS.
The move comes as the armed forces hope to boost recruitment, improve deployability and make it easier for personnel to enter civilian life, the Ministry of Defence said.
Veterans and people minister Louise Sandher-Jones said: "Our armed forces deserve a healthcare system as modern as they are. For too long, paper-based records have slowed down recruitment and created unnecessary headaches for those leaving the military.
"This new system will cut through the bureaucracy, getting recruits into uniform faster and ensuring veterans transition smoothly to civilian life.”
The decades-old paper-based system has meant that the transfer of health records between the NHS and defence medical services is reliant on time-consuming paperwork, which slows both recruitment and personnel exits, the ministry said.
Currently, personnel leaving the armed forces have to chase paperwork and wait for health records to reach the NHS.
“It's a concrete example of this government delivering on our promise to renew the nation's contract with those who serve – and proof that defence investment means British jobs and British growth,” Ms Sandher-Jones said.
The £7.8m contract to deliver the new system was given to Leeds-based software company The Phoenix Partnership.
It follows a £2.5m investment for the Mercury application in January, which allows defence medics to securely access military medical records during operations and exercises.
The Phoenix Partnership’s chief executive, Charlotte Knowles, said: “We are extremely proud that the Ministry of Defence has chosen our modern electronic health record system. It is an immense honour to support the delivery of GP, community and rehabilitation services for our armed forces and their families across all four nations of the UK.
“The partnership between the Ministry of Defence and The Phoenix Partnership will deliver the world’s most advanced digital health platform for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force – now and into the future.”
General Sir Jim Hockenhull said: "This new electronic health records system will give our armed forces the digital infrastructure they need – speeding up recruitment, improving the flow of information, and ensuring our people can focus on the mission rather than paperwork.
“It's exactly the kind of modernisation we need to keep pace with the threats we face."
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