The Department of Health and Social Care’s Gateway Review of NHS England’s Frontline Productivity programme has highlighted concerns around the concentration of Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems and the cyber risks associated with their hosting and supplier dependencies.

The review found that responsibility for these cyber risks is “fragmented” and that there is “material uncertainty” over how an attack might be prevented and responded to. It also said it was “essential” that NHS England “publish minimum cyber security requirements for EPRs and clarify cyber risk ownership.

At System C, we take cyber security seriously. That’s why we’ve signed up to the NHS Cyber Security Charter and maintain certifications including ISO 27001, ISO 27018, and Cyber Essentials Plus.

What is the NHS Cyber Security Charter?

The NHS Cyber Security Charter was introduced by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care in response to the growing sophistication of cyber threats, particularly ransomware attacks targeting NHS supply chains. It is designed to support current, prospective and aspiring NHS suppliers, encouraging organisations like ours to strengthen cyber security practices and demonstrate a commitment to protecting NHS systems and patient data.

Signing the NHS Cyber Security Charter

It is worth noting that only three of the nine major EPR suppliers are listed as signatories to the NHS Cyber Security Charter for Suppliers. Having signed the Charter in November 2025, we are proud to be among this small group of EPR system providers publicly demonstrating their commitment to strengthening cyber security across the NHS.

Why Does it Matter to Us?

As a supplier of healthcare technology, we have a responsibility to help NHS organisations maintain secure and resilient digital services. Our signing of the NHS Cyber Security Charter reflects our focus on cyber security across the health sector and the importance of protecting NHS systems, supply chains and patient data.

It also provides an opportunity for organisations like ours to demonstrate our commitment to meeting evolving cyber security expectations and supporting the safe delivery of care.

What it Means for our Customers

By signing the NHS Cyber Security Charter, we wanted to demonstrate our commitment to the cyber security standards and principles being promoted across the NHS. We hope that this gives our customers confidence that protecting NHS systems, patient data and service resilience remains one of our key priorities as cyber threats continue to evolve.

“The safety and security of our customers and their patients is critical, so it is very important that we embed these across our organisation. We firmly believe that being a signatory and living the values of the Charter should be table stakes for any organisation wanting to be trusted to partner with the NHS,” said Nick Wilson, CEO of System C.

Next Steps

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