He also cited the “sensitivity” of the 2024 general election as a reason for the delay.

The EPR is using software called Expanse which is supplied by a company called Meditech, and the overall cost of the programme has been put at £88m., external

According to the government’s procurement database, Meditech signed 10-year contracts for the hospitals, running until 2034.

Prosser-Snelling said the project had undergone a “reset and replanning exercise” to ensure the new system could be delivered safely.

He pointed to disruption at other NHS trusts where the implementation of a new EPR had worsened waiting times and A&E performance.

“The programme team has been carefully evaluating national evidence around patient safety incidents at EPR ‘go-lives’,” he told the BBC.

“The programme will need to continue in some form in order to replace outdated clinical systems across the trusts.”