Progress and partnerships

Progress and partnerships

Scan4Safety has evolved from a promising pilot to a national priority. With strong partnerships driving adoption, we’re building the foundation for universal implementation across the NHS in England.

From demonstrator sites to a standard approach

Scan4Safety began in 2016 with six NHS demonstrator sites that proved the concept and generated a robust evidence base. That evidence has now supported the transition from a time-limited programme to a standard approach, supported by a growing infrastructure of partnerships, policy commitments, and technical guidance.

Building on this success, the programme has grown steadily. In England, around 50% of NHS trusts have inventory management systems and approximately 40% are scanning products and devices to the point of care. This represents substantial progress, but also highlights the opportunity ahead.

Accelerating adoption

To accelerate adoption across all NHS trusts in England, NHS Supply Chain is expanding its Inventory Management Systems (IMS) programme, with NHS England investment, through to 2031. The programme provides trusts with the infrastructure, systems, scanning equipment, and deployment support needed to establish an IMS — providing an essential foundation for Scan4Safety. Once in place, this infrastructure supports Scan4Safety across a range of clinical applications.

Trusts are continuing to expand Scan4Safety into new clinical areas and innovative applications. From closed-loop medicines management and blood transfusion safety to neonatal milk tracking and infection control, the range of uses continues to grow. Examples of how NHS trusts are applying Scan4Safety across different settings can be found in the Scan4Safety in practice section of this website.

Strong partnerships driving change

Delivery of Scan4Safety is a collaborative effort, with leadership and responsibilities shared across key national organisations:

NHS England

  • National Patient Safety Team  —  Provides strategic leadership, national policy, and the mandate for Scan4Safety adoption across NHS trusts
  • Medical Device Outcomes Registry (MDOR) — Receives data from Scan4Safety-enabled trusts to support national surveillance of high-risk devices. Visit the MDOR webpage

NHS Supply Chain

Leads the national Inventory Management System programme, providing funded implementation support to trusts across England through to 2031

GS1 UK

The non-profit standards body that supports adoption of globally recognised identification standards across the NHS and its supply chain. Visit the GS1 UK website

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

Supports the regulatory framework for medical device identification and traceability

NHS Commercial

Has set Scan4Safety as one of the priorities in the Strategic Framework for NHS Commercial, recognising it as the most effective way of capturing data at the point of care

Policy and regulatory alignment:

Scan4Safety is embedded in a strong policy framework:

Political and public trust considerations

Inquiries such as the Cumberlege Review and Infected Blood Inquiry, demonstrate the need for system-wide improvements in traceability and accountability

Cross-UK adoption:

The benefits of Scan4Safety are being recognised across all UK nations:

  • Scotland — The Scottish Government’s digital strategy funds a national Scan4Safety programme for Scottish hospitals
  • Wales — The Welsh Government’s national data strategy funds a national Scan4Safety programme using the NHS number as the single patient identifier
  • Northern Ireland — The Department of Health is rolling out EPIC as its single electronic patient record, using GS1 standards for asset identification