Bedford Hospital moved maternity care from paper notes to the BadgerNet digital record on 3 November. Mothers can now see their notes in Badger Notes.

Paper maternity notes have been retired at Bedford Hospital. Maternity care there moved onto BadgerNet, an electronic patient record, on Tuesday 3 November. The date comes from the trust’s announcement of 6 November.

The change matters most to anyone pregnant and booked at Bedford. Midwives and doctors in the hospital and in the community now read and update the same record in real time. Before, they worked from paper notes.

What changes for families

The trust says the new record:

  • replaces the paper maternity notes with a secure digital record
  • lets hospital and community maternity teams see and update it as care happens
  • can be shared securely with other trusts that use BadgerNet, if your care crosses between them
  • comes with Badger Notes, a portal where women and birthing people can see their own records, appointments and updates through pregnancy

The trust gives the reasons in plain terms. Paper notes can be illegible, duplicated or slow to reach the clinician who needs them. A shared digital record removes those risks, it says.

BadgerNet is used by around 60% of maternity units in England and 99% of neonatal units, according to the trust. That is why records can follow a family between hospitals.

Luton next, in December

Bedford went first. The trust runs both Bedford Hospital and the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. The same system is due to go live in Luton on 8 December 2026.

The trust ties the move to an NHS England target: 95% of NHS trusts using electronic patient records by the end of 2026.

Liz Lees, the trust’s Chief Nurse, said: “Moving from paper records to this electronic system will help our staff access accurate information quickly and support better communication between teams, ultimately leading to enhanced patient safety. Badger Notes also gives women and birthing people greater visibility of their own care.”

Tara Pauley, who led the rollout as Senior Responsible Officer, said it was “the result of many months of planning, collaboration and dedication from many colleagues across multiple services”. She thanked frontline staff “who have embraced new ways of working while continuing to deliver excellent care for families”.

Have your say on the hospital’s future: survey closes 23 November

A day earlier, on 5 November, the trust opened a public survey called Your Voice, Our Future. It covers both hospitals, not only Bedford. The answers will feed into the trust’s new strategy and its priorities for the coming years.

It asks about:

  • your experience of using the hospitals’ services
  • what matters most to you when you receive care
  • what could be improved
  • what the trust’s priorities should be
  • what gets in the way of accessing healthcare

Patients, carers, families and anyone living locally can take part. You do not need to have used the hospital recently. The survey closes on 23 November 2026.

Pippa Nightingale, the trust’s Chief Executive, said: “The best strategies are developed with the people who use our services, not simply for them.”

What it means for you

  • If you are pregnant and under Bedford Hospital’s maternity care, your notes are now digital. Ask your midwife how to get into Badger Notes, so you can see your own record and appointments.
  • If you are booked at the Luton and Dunstable, the same change reaches you on 8 December.
  • If you have views on the hospital, good or bad, the survey is open until 23 November. The link is on the trust’s news page.

The hospital site is also being reshaped. See our report on the care hub approved at Bedford Hospital and the parking it will cost.