A £2.5 million contract to develop a Deployed Clinical Record
system to enable defence clinicians to access military medical
records anywhere in the world, has been awarded by the Defence
Medical Services to Leeds digital health-care solutions
consultancy Avenue3.
Developed for the Cyber & Specialist Operation Command's
Defence Medical Services, the Project Mercury application will
enable military clinicians to view, record and share medical data
on multiple devices whilst on global deployments, including in
the most remote of locations where an internet connection isn't
possible.
The application uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology,
similar to how contactless card payments are made, enabling the
transfer of data offline.
The new contract marks a major milestone – transitioning Project
Mercury from its proof-of-concept phase into full implementation
with the first live release expected in Spring 2026, with
continued development and rollout throughout 2027.
Clinical Lead for Project Mercury at the Defence Medical
Services, Lt Col Michael Claydon said:
Project Mercury is a real game changer and will help military
clinicians provide effective and accurate care to deployed
personnel no matter where in the world they are serving.
Avenue3 is the ideal development partner for the delivery of the
electronic health record the frontline medic needs. Through close
engagement with UK and NATO clinicians and commanders we will
rapidly optimise Mercury for current and future conflicts.
The contract award aligns with the Defence Industrial Strategy
2025 which outlines a commitment to increase MOD spending with
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Alex McNair, Chief Technology Officer and Founder of
Avenue3 added:
Project Mercury represents a major step forward in enabling safe,
connected and resilient healthcare for deployed personnel. By
building on open standards and a clinically led design approach,
we're helping to deliver world-class digital healthcare
capabilities wherever they're needed.
The delivery phase was formally launched and celebrated at a
recent event at the Green Howards Museum in Richmond, North
Yorkshire which showcased historical medical equipment and the
evolution of deployed medicine.
Project Mercury has been overseen and delivered by the Programme
Cortisone team in collaboration with Defence Digital, who are
working to deliver an ecosystem of Healthcare Information
Services to replace outdated systems with a secure, modern
platform.
