Managed Print Services in Healthcare: Simplifying Document Management

In healthcare, efficiency isn’t just about keeping costs under control – it’s about ensuring patients receive timely, safe, and effective care. While much attention has been given to digitisation and electronic records, one element of everyday healthcare operations is often overlooked: printing. Prescriptions, referral letters, consent forms, and patient information leaflets all depend on reliable, secure printing systems. Inefficient or outdated systems create bottlenecks that directly impact patient care.

Managed Print Services (MPS) offer a smarter way forward. By outsourcing print management to a specialist provider like ICT Solutions, healthcare organisations can reduce costs, streamline workflows, improve security, and support sustainability goals.

Why Printing Still Matters in a Digital NHS

The NHS has made significant strides in digitisation, but paper continues to play a critical role. A recent NHS Digital blog  highlighted how GP patient registration forms still need to exist in both digital and paper formats to ensure inclusivity and consistency across services . The blog explained that paper remains vital for patients who are digitally excluded or simply prefer offline options, reinforcing that print is not disappearing any time soon.

Similarly, the NHS Confederation’s report on Frontline Digitisation acknowledged that while the ambition is to move towards a fully digital NHS, many providers are still reliant on hybrid systems combining both paper and digital records. For frontline staff, this means having reliable print services is just as important as access to electronic health records.

In other words, printing may not be as glamorous as AI or cloud systems, but in practice, it’s still essential.

The Hidden Costs of Unmanaged Printing in Healthcare

Many healthcare providers underestimate how much unmanaged printing costs them. Research from Cost Analysts suggests that healthcare organisations often overspend by 30/40% due to inefficiencies in their print environments. Multiple desktop printers, untracked usage, and reactive supply orders all contribute to spiralling costs.

The problems don’t stop at budget waste. When a printer in a GP surgery or hospital ward breaks down, the disruption can delay patient care, appointments, and administrative processes. In addition, unmanaged printing poses serious security risks. Patient data left on trays or printed without secure release can result in GDPR breaches. A costly mistake for any healthcare provider.

As Open Access Government noted in its review of Managed Print Services, poor print management not only wastes resources but also reduces staff productivity and increases compliance risks.

How Managed Print Services Transform Healthcare Workflows

Managed Print Services tackle the inefficiencies of traditional print environments by centralising and optimising every aspect of document management. One of the most immediate benefits is cost reduction: by consolidating supplies, servicing, and support, healthcare providers can eliminate waste and significantly lower expenditure. Toshiba has reported that organisations can achieve savings of over 50% by moving to MPS, freeing up vital funds for frontline care.

Reliability is another major advantage. With proactive monitoring in place, devices are serviced before problems escalate, ensuring that prescriptions, referrals, and patient information are always available when needed. Security and compliance are also strengthened. Features such as secure print release guarantee that sensitive documents can only be collected by authorised staff, protecting providers from the risk of GDPR breaches.

Efficiency improves as well, with print devices strategically placed and sized according to departmental needs. This prevents bottlenecks in high-traffic areas such as reception desks or hospital wards. Finally, sustainability goals are supported through reduced print volumes, lower energy consumption, and greener IT practices that align with NHS net-zero commitments.

According to the Gordon Flesch Company, the benefits go beyond cost and compliance. Healthcare providers that adopt Managed Print Services also improve staff productivity by removing the burden of ad-hoc troubleshooting from clinicians and administrators, allowing them to focus more fully on patient care.

A Real-World Example: From Chaos to Control

Imagine a busy GP practice relying on several small printers, each with its own toner supply and maintenance plan. Staff spend hours managing supplies, fixing breakdowns, and waiting on external contractors. Patients face delays when prescriptions or forms can’t be printed on time.

With Managed Print Services, this fragmented setup is replaced by a centralised, optimised system. Supplies are automatically replenished, maintenance is proactive, and printers are monitored remotely to detect issues before they disrupt services. Staff can spend more time supporting patients, while patients experience a smoother, more efficient service.

Why Managed Print Services Are a Perfect Fit for Healthcare

Healthcare organisations operate under unique pressures, where confidentiality, reliability, and cost-efficiency are non-negotiable. Managed Print Services meet these demands by strengthening compliance, ensuring that patient records, prescriptions, and other sensitive documents are always handled securely. They also guarantee availability through proactive support and round-the-clock monitoring, which minimises downtime and keeps critical services running without interruption.

At the same time, MPS enhances efficiency by streamlining workflows and reducing the time staff spend troubleshooting printers or managing supplies, allowing clinicians and administrators to concentrate on patient care. Sustainability is another important outcome, as MPS helps reduce unnecessary waste and energy usage, aligning with NHS commitments to environmental responsibility.

As LDI Connect has highlighted, the benefits are not just financial. By improving both security and operational reliability, managed print services allow healthcare providers to save money while also delivering a smoother, more dependable experience for patients.

Why Choose ICT Solutions?

At ICT Solutions, we understand the specific challenges of healthcare IT environments. We know that a printer breakdown isn’t just a technical inconvenience, it can directly affect patient safety and care delivery.

Our Managed Print Services are designed to give healthcare providers peace of mind by ensuring:

• Secure, GDPR-compliant document handling.
  
  
• Proactive monitoring and 24/7 support to keep devices operational.
  
  
• Cost savings through centralised supply and service management.
  
  
• Sustainable practices that reduce waste and energy use.
  
  

We work closely with healthcare providers to tailor MPS solutions that support their operational needs and long-term strategic goals.

Conclusion

In an era where healthcare systems are under constant pressure to do more with less, every inefficiency counts. Printing may not dominate headlines, but it remains a vital part of daily healthcare operations. By adopting Managed Print Services, providers can cut costs, improve security, support sustainability, and free staff from the distractions of managing print systems.

As NHS Digital reminds us, paper is still part of healthcare and it needs to be handled with the same care and consistency as digital services . Optimising print environments through MPS ensures that this essential but often overlooked function becomes a strategic asset, not a liability.

Ready to simplify your document management and improve efficiency? Contact ICT Solutions today to find out how our Managed Print Services can transform your healthcare workflows.