Deaths caused by prescription errors at NHS hospitals are to be tackled by getting rid of outdated paper systems, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said, announcing a new £260m technology fund.

A total of 11 people were said to have died in the NHS last year alone because they were given the wrong prescriptions.

Ministers now hope to reduce incidents of drugs being incorrectly prescribed to patients and believe technology is the answer.

Hundreds of millions of pounds is being invested into digitising patient notes and delivering electronic prescribing, with concerns that errors currently exist in as many as 8 per cent of hospital prescriptions.

Through electronic prescribing, computer generated prescriptions will be sent by doctors directly to pharmacies.

It is hoped errors will be halved, and patient safety increased as doctors and nurses get access to accurate details about the care of a patient.

“In many places, right now, a paramedic picking up a frail elderly woman who has had a fall will not always know she has dementia, because he or she cannot access her notes,” said Hunt. “Or a doctor is prescribing the wrong drugs, because they don’t know what drugs their patient is already on.

“If we are to improve patient safety then we must allow the NHS to have access to the best tools available and this fund will help them achieve that.”

Tim Kelsey, NHS England’s national director for patients and information within said has repeatedly warned about the life and death risks associated with poor data and paper records in the NHS.

“This step change in integrating diverse information sources around the needs to the patient will support clinicians and provider organisations deliver world class patient care,” he said.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of NHS England added: “This new fund will help patients get better and safer care by giving clinicians access to the right information when they need it most.

“Supporting hospitals to replace outdated paper systems for notes and prescriptions will help relieve patients’ frustration at having to repeat their medical and medication history over and over again, often in the same hospital, because their records aren’t available.

“Expanding the use of electronic prescribing of medications in hospitals will help improve safety, save lives and save taxpayer’s money.”