Leak exposes HNELHD unreadiness for Epic SDPR.

TL;DR

A leaked document reveals Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) faces delays in its Epic-based Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR) rollout.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)[[2]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/leak-shows-hnelhd-not-ready-for-epic-rollout/44068)
Issues include incomplete system build, ongoing WiFi upgrades, staff training gaps, and cybersecurity concerns blocking personal device access.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)
Go-live shifts from March to mid-2026, highlighting risks in NSW Health's statewide digital transformation.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)

The story at a glance

A leaked internal update from early March shows HNELHD is not ready for its planned Epic SDPR rollout due to infrastructure shortfalls and training problems. Involved are HNELHD, the SDPR Implementation Authority (SDPRIA) led by Dr Teresa Anderson, and Epic as the system vendor. The story broke now as Health Services Daily sighted the document amid public plans for a May 2026 go-live at HNELHD after earlier sites. SDPR aims to unify patient records across NSW public health services.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)[[3]](https://www.facebook.com/NewSouthWalesHealth/posts/the-single-digital-patient-record-sdpr-is-now-live-at-justice-health-nsw-and-nsw/1357446339759288)

Key points

Leaked March update states system build remains incomplete, with ongoing configuration for medications and other elements.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)
Infrastructure upgrades like WiFi are still underway across sites, with variability hindering equitable rollout.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)
Significant staff training backlog exists; some were wrongly assigned multiple roles, creating excess requirements now being fixed.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)
Simulation exercises for go-live are complex due to external support needs from SDPRIA and Epic, delaying scaling.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)
GP integration limited; full access unlikely, with Care Link possible for some, while personal device use is delayed over cybersecurity risks.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)
HNELHD stays in first tranche but go-live slips to mid-2026 (June-July), per SDPRIA comments.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)

Details and context

The SDPR is NSW Health's push for a single Epic electronic medical record, patient administration, and pathology system to replace fragmented setups like Cerner and Orion, starting with HNELHD as lead site.[[4]](https://www.pulseit.news/australian-digital-health/hunter-new-england-to-pilot-single-digital-patient-record-from-2025-26)[[5]](https://www.ehealth.nsw.gov.au/news/2023/sdpr-contract-signed) HNELHD covers Hunter, New England, and Lower Mid North Coast regions with 25 hospitals, making it a key test for statewide scaling by 2028-30.[[6]](https://channellife.com.au/story/epic-to-deliver-single-patient-records-for-nsw-health)

Delays stem from coordination challenges with external partners, uneven site readiness, and persistent cybersecurity gaps noted in reviews.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989) Earlier plans eyed March 2026 go-live, but recent official notes point to May for HNELHD after Justice Health.[[3]](https://www.facebook.com/NewSouthWalesHealth/posts/the-single-digital-patient-record-sdpr-is-now-live-at-justice-health-nsw-and-nsw/1357446339759288)

SDPRIA gave limited response, confirming HNELHD's tranche status but no details on the leak.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)

Key quotes

“A significant number of staff still require training, and new staff will continue to need onboarding. Some staff were incorrectly assigned multiple roles, resulting in unnecessary training requirements – this is being corrected.” — Leaked HNELHD document.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)
“Access via personal devices is technically possible but delayed due to cybersecurity concerns.” — Leaked HNELHD document.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)

Why it matters

Delays in SDPR rollout expose risks to patient care continuity and data security in one of Australia's biggest health digitisation projects. For NSW clinicians and patients in HNELHD, it means sticking with current patchwork systems longer, potentially slowing records access across sites. Watch SDPRIA updates on revised timelines and any further leaks or audits, as mid-2026 go-live remains unconfirmed.[[1]](https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/ignoring-the-sdpr-truth-wont-make-it-go-away/43989)