Two hospitals have received a funding boost from the government to introduce a new electronic prescribing and medication administration system.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and James Paget University Hospital have been successful in a bid for £1.7m from the Department of Health sponsored Safer Hospitals Safer Wards Technology Fund.

With match funding, the project will total £3.5m. Hospital chiefs said the scheme would improve patient safety by reducing medication errors, missed doses and improving the quality of prescribing.

The project is set to go live at both hospitals by 2016.

Krishna Sethia, medical director at the N&N, said: 'E-prescribing is a major step forward in helping clinicians provide the best care and giving patients confidence that they are in the safest possible environment.'

Nick Oligbo, medical director at the James Paget University Hospital, added: 'E-prescribing is something we have been very keen to implement at the James Paget. It is great that we are now able to introduce this system for the benefit of our patients.'