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Nearly two centuries since the debut of the fax machine, a handful of NHS trusts in England continue to rely on this ageing technology. Despite widespread digital advancements across the health service, three NHS trusts — Leeds Teaching Hospitals, University Hospitals Birmingham, and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital — still employ fax machines for routine communications.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has made the elimination of fax machines a key objective. Back in October 2024, he promised on BBC Radio 5 Live that the NHS would rid itself of these devices by the following year. However, his recent update suggests that while progress has been substantial, the task is not yet fully completed. Streeting disclosed that out of 205 NHS trusts nationwide, just three remain dependent on fax machines, with Leeds and Birmingham planning to discontinue their use within twelve months, while Shrewsbury and Telford anticipate a longer transition period.
Streeting explained that he is working closely with these trusts to help them move beyond outdated technology, emphasizing a pragmatic approach. He acknowledged that a forced ban by political mandate could create significant operational difficulties, so he chose transparency about the current situation instead. Fax machines, known formally as facsimile machines, once dominated offices, schools, hospitals, and other institutions by transmitting printed documents over telephone lines. Although largely replaced by email in the early 2000s, some healthcare settings have held on to them longer than most sectors.
The ban on purchasing new fax machines within the NHS started under former Health Secretary Matt Hancock in 2018, with an aim to phase out the devices completely by April 2020. Multiple health secretaries following Hancock, including Streeting, pledged to “axe the fax,” yet the technology persisted. In his recent remarks, Streeting noted that existing fax machines are not heavily used but do serve occasional departmental and multi-site communication needs. Some trusts also keep fax machines stored as contingency tools in case of cyberattacks or communication failures, a practical measure that has slowed the total phase-out. Despite the delay, Streeting declared the NHS’s commitment intact and signaled the endpoint to a long-running effort initiated six health secretaries ago
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