The UK’s Defence Medical Services has announced a significant step forward in military healthcare by awarding a contract worth £2.5 million ($3.3 million) to Avenue3 for the development of Project Mercury. This initiative aims to implement a secure electronic health record system designed for military clinicians operating in diverse and remote locations around the globe.
Project Mercury is engineered to allow healthcare professionals to view, record, and share medical data seamlessly across multiple devices, even in areas lacking internet connectivity. This capability is crucial for ensuring that medical personnel can access up-to-date patient information in operational environments, which can be critical in emergency situations.
Avenue3, a digital healthcare consultancy based in Leeds, will collaborate closely with UK and NATO clinicians to refine and enhance the platform to suit both current and anticipated military operations. The project utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, akin to the systems used in contactless card payments, to facilitate offline data transfers. This feature ensures that medical staff can manage patient information without relying on internet access, thus enhancing the efficacy of care in field conditions.
Transitioning the project from its proof-of-concept stage to comprehensive implementation, the first live release of Project Mercury is scheduled for Spring 2026. Following this, development and rollout will continue through 2027, emphasizing the importance of creating a robust healthcare support system for military personnel.
Michael Claydon, the Clinical Lead for Project Mercury, emphasized the transformative nature of this system, characterizing it as “a real game changer” for improving the accuracy and effectiveness of medical care provided to deployed service members.
Over the past few years, the UK has consistently invested in modernizing healthcare within its armed forces. In 2022, the Defence Medical Services embarked on a comprehensive effort to consolidate various health records into a single, secure digital framework for all service members. Building on this, the Ministry of Defence initiated a program in 2023 to enhance field medical kits with digital monitoring devices, which would allow for the real-time transmission of vital signs from deployed units back to base hospitals.
In conjunction with Project Mercury, ongoing work on Programme Cortisone aims to establish a cohesive Healthcare Information Services ecosystem capable of addressing the needs of both firm-base and deployed operations. This initiative is focused on ensuring offline record access and promoting interoperability across different branches of the Defence Medical Services, ultimately furthering the modernization of military healthcare in the UK.
