Academic Research Helping to Transform Healthcare in the Region
Dr Rebecca Casey is championing digital transformation in healthcare with the Great North Care Record.
9 October 2025
This month, Dr Rebecca Casey, Lecturer in Information Systems and Co-Director of Student Recruitment at Newcastle University Business School, published findings from her impact project with the Great North Care Record (GNCR), sharing insights into how shared care records are making a difference in health and care.
New perspective on digital healthcare
The team’s research – 'The Great North Care Record: An Evaluation of Effectiveness and Benefits' – has brought fresh perspectives to the conversation around digital transformation in both health and care settings. It offers compelling evidence of how shared care records are improving patient care across the North East and North Cumbria.
The report, which consists of multiple surveys, in-depth interviews, and document analysis, reveals a system delivering tangible benefits: faster access to patient information, reduced duplication, improved safety, and better experiences for both clinicians and patients.
Alongside the report, the team has published the Realising Digital Value Playbook – a practical guide designed to help other health and care systems adopt the same successful strategies. The Playbook translates insights from the GNCR into actionable tools and templates, giving teams a structured framework for aligning digital programmes with national priorities and measuring real-world impact.
Dr Rebecca Casey said: “The Great North Care Record is a powerful example of how digital infrastructure can transform patient care. Our evaluation shows not only tangible time and cost savings but also how shared records improve safety, support clinical decision-making, and make care more joined-up for patients. The Playbook offers a practical way for other regions to learn from the North East and North Cumbria and realise the full value of digital health.”
Jill Watson, Programme Manager at the GNCR, added: “It has been five years since the Great North Care Record launched for staff across the region, making patient information stored across different systems securely available at the point of care. It has been very insightful and rewarding to finally capture the impact and benefits it has for health and care professionals throughout the North East and North Cumbria.
“While the time and financial savings help us demonstrate the power of the region's shared care record, crucially the evaluation confirms how the platform leads to more informed clinical decision-making and bridges the data gaps between organisations."
Safe and smarter ways of working
Key resources released:
- full benefits report (September 2025) – a detailed evaluation of the GNCR's impact on health and care delivery
- Realising Digital Value Playbook – templates, guidance and tools for applying the findings across other regions
The work of the GNCR not only validates the efforts made in the North East and North Cumbria, it also lights the way for future innovation across the NHS and other health and care organisations. Their research highlights a vital message — when digital tools are thoughtfully implemented and meaningfully evaluated, they can make health and care safer and smarter.