The NSW Labor government says the Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR) is one step closer to transforming healthcare delivery, with statewide staff training now underway ahead of the system’s first rollout in 2026.

The SDPR is a single electronic medical record designed to give clinicians access to real-time patient information from one secure source, replacing a patchwork of legacy systems currently used across NSW Health. When fully implemented, it will be one of the largest digital health programs ever undertaken in Australia.

Key Points

• Statewide training underway, with nearly 200 NSW Health staff volunteering as early SDPR trainers.
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• First rollout planned for March 2026 across Hunter New England LHD, Justice Health NSW and NSW Health Pathology (HNE sites).
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• System to be delivered in five stages, reaching full completion by 2028.
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• SDPR will replace nine electronic medical record systems, multiple patient administration systems and laboratory systems.
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• Project underpinned by Epic Systems software under a contract worth $969 million, although the NSW Audit Office warns legacy system integration costs may have been underestimated.

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Project Significance

The SDPR is positioned as a foundational reform of NSW’s public health system. By unifying clinical, administrative and pathology records, the program aims to improve continuity of care, reduce duplication, and support faster, more informed clinical decision-making across hospitals, community health centres and specialist services.

For a system spanning more than 220 public hospitals, 150 pathology collection centres, 65 laboratories and around 600 community health centres, the project represents a shift away from fragmented digital infrastructure towards a single statewide platform.

From a project management perspective, SDPR is notable for its scale, complexity and long delivery horizon – stretching from early concept work in 2019 through to full implementation in 2028.

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Further Details: Delivery at Scale and Cost Pressures

While momentum is building, the program is not without risk. A NSW Audit Office report has warned that the SDPR business case was inaccurate, finding that it did not capture all relevant project costs – particularly the cost of integrating the new system with legacy platforms that will remain in use.

The auditor noted that integration is critical to the success of the program and that early indicators suggest these costs will be significant. Estimated operating and implementation costs were also found to lack sufficient supporting evidence, raising the possibility that total costs are understated.

NSW Health has attributed some of the variation to timing. The initial business case was developed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a revised version completed in 2023 under very different economic conditions. Rising operational costs and global supply chain disruption have since added pressure.

In response, the SDPR Implementation Authority says tighter financial governance has been put in place to oversee procurement, integration and delivery. A full audit of the project’s procurement, governance and project management is scheduled for the 2026–27 financial year.

For clinicians and patients, the promise is clear: real-time, holistic patient information available wherever care is delivered. For government, the SDPR is a high-stakes digital transformation – one where delivery discipline, cost control and integration planning will be just as important as the technology itself.