Sirona Care & Health: Digitising Children’s Services Records for Better Care, Space & Sustainability

Executive Summary

In 2023, Sirona care & health identified a need to digitise a vast volume of legacy records held across dozens of healthcare sites, primarily within its Children’s Services division. With over 190,000 paper records stored in 340 filing cabinets across 33 locations, storage space was under pressure and information access was inconsistent. By partnering with Crown Information Management, Sirona has not only created a modern, searchable digital archive but also freed up critical clinical and operational space, reduced paper dependency, and improved the sustainability of its information handling.

About Sirona

Sirona care & health is a not-for-profit social enterprise delivering NHS and Local Authority-funded community health and care services across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). With a mission to provide high-quality, person-centred care, Sirona continually looks to innovate how it operates, including its approach to information and records management.

The Challenge

Sirona’s Children’s Services division was managing a significant volume of paper-based records:

The legacy systems in place were difficult to manage, with no easy way to track, audit, or share records securely. Staff often needed to travel between sites or request off-site records to be retrieved, delaying access to vital care history for vulnerable children and families.

The Solution

Sirona partnered with Crown Information Management to design and deliver a full digitisation strategy for their Children’s Services records. Crown’s team:

Beyond its primary capabilities, the solution offers Sirona a robust and transparent method to automatically uphold their 26-year retention requirements. This automation significantly minimises compliance risks, decreases manual workload, and mitigates the possibility of human error.

Additionally, the enhanced features from Box.com further strengthen data ownership and governance, allowing authorised personnel to access records swiftly and securely whenever necessary. Together, these benefits create a more efficient, reliable, and compliant information management environment for Sirona.

Results & Outcomes

Space Reclaimed for Frontline Care

The removal of paper records allowed Sirona to free up clinical and operational space at multiple locations. This included:

• A new large meeting room
• An immunisation room with fridges for vaccine storage
• Additional adult clinical space
• A new base for the Lifetime Service, supporting children with complex health needs

Efficiency & Compliance Improvements

• Faster, remote access to critical records
• Reduced risk of information loss or data protection issues
• Standardised digital record keeping with audit trails
• Time savings for busy clinicians and admin teams

Sustainability Impact

• Eliminated the need for a large off-site storage facility
• Cleared 340 filing cabinets and 7 records rooms, increasing efficiency of the estate
• Significantly reduced paper use and waste
• Reduction in delivery journeys and road miles – removing the need for approximately 370 deliveries per year

A Crown Partnership

By working closely with Sirona’s Records and Estates teams, Crown Information Management ensured the project was smooth, secure, and aligned with Sirona’s strategic goals for space, safety, and sustainability.

• 190,000 records digitised
• 340 filing cabinets removed
• 33 physical locations consolidated into one digital ecosystem
• 7 records rooms cleared
• 4+ functional rooms created for clinical and team use
• Faster access to children’s health records
• Sustainability improvements across estate and record lifecycle
• Improved safeguarding and data governance