The need to modernise information management has become more pressing across every sector of the UK, but nowhere more so than within the NHS. During the last ten years, there has been a sustained drive towards a “paperless” era, with government policy and organisational plans establishing highly ambitious goals.
Going digital shouldn’t feel like pulling the rug from under your teams. Many UK organisations, especially within the NHS, want the benefits of faster access to information, better security and lower costs, paper in some forms will remain, and a hybrid solution will be beneficial. That’s why a paperlite approach offers a more realistic, lower‑risk route than a hard switch to complete “paperless”.
What does paperlite mean?
That is where paperlite comes in. Instead of going for an all-or-nothing approach, paperlite is about reducing dependency on paper or working in a hybrid way, in a measured, step-by-step manner. It’s not about flipping a switch but about finding balance, maintaining paper where it still makes sense, and rejoicing in digital where it can add true value.
A paperlite approach recognises that organisations don’t need to digitise absolutely everything to reap the benefits of information management in the modern day. Instead, it’s a case of making strategic decisions about which documents need to be made available electronically, which need to be archived safely, and which can be destroyed according to compliance.
In the NHS, this might involve scanning patient records that are frequently accessed. For councils, it might be scanning planning applications while keeping historic maps or deeds in secure storage. In commercial environments, it might be about contracts, HR files, and accounts.
At its core, paperlite is a case of being strategic and selective. You trim the volume of paper that you’re working with day to day, without overburdening staff and budgets.
Why paperlite is better than paperless
There are a couple of reasons to aim for a paperlite middle-ground instead of dismissing paper altogether:
- Practicality: Being totally paperless can take a huge time and resource commitment. For most businesses, it’s just not feasible with a ‘big bang’ digitalisation project.
- Continuity: Paper is still necessary in some areas – for example, original legal documents or patient information that can’t be erased.
- Lower transformation risk: You can phase changes by service line or department, testing as you go and keeping business‑critical work uninterrupted
- Better adoption: Staff adapt more readily when familiar steps evolve rather than vanish; small, visible wins build momentum.
- Compliance by design: It’s easier to align retention, access controls and audit trails when you digitise intentionally instead of rushing to eradicate every sheet of paper.
- Value for money: You target scanning, automation and change management where they deliver the most return, rather than treating every document equally.
Choosing paperlite is not the same as throwing out progress. It is the same as recognising that modernisation thrives best when it is attainable, step-by-step, and harmonious with real-world practice. It’s for this reason that both “NHS paperlite” or more general “paperlite NHS” strategies have gained so much in favour in recent years, they make digital transformation less of a leap of faith, and more of a gradual journey.
Seven benefits of a paperlite office
With less paper clogging filing cabinets and storage rooms, information is readily available and easier to pass on. Scanned and digitised documents are ready for use in seconds, freeing up employees to spend time on more valuable activities.
Paper documents can be lost, destroyed, or accessed inappropriately. By copying the most important documents, you have an audited and secure system meeting GDPR and other regulatory requirements
Every square foot being taken up by storage is space you’re not dedicating to patients, clients, or staff. A paperlite office frees up valuable space while saving on printing, storage, and retrieval costs.
Reducing paper consumption and waste is a tangible measure towards environmental goals, being one of the main drivers of many organisations moving towards a paperless or paperlite office.
Digitised files can be located and shared securely, reducing time spent sifting through boxes and folders. Staff no longer wait for off-site retrievals or duplicate scanning, which means decisions move faster and service backlogs shrink.
Digital copies, backed by resilient hosting, protect critical information from local incidents. Even if a site is inaccessible, authorised users can continue to work securely, maintaining continuity of care and services.
Teams collaborate more easily, and citizens or patients see quicker responses. With the right paperlite office tools in place, information flows to the right person at the right time without endless chasing.
How to transition smoothly to a paperlite office
Changing doesn’t have to be daunting. The simplest changes follow a few simple steps:
Know what you possess, what is being used, and what must be archived or discarded. This is the foundation of your paperlite strategy.
Not everything can be scanned. Begin with frequently used documents, valuable documents, or compliance documents. Document scanning services enable you to make it a fast and safe process.
For documents you still need to keep in paper format, document management services ensure they’re safe, accessible, and in full compliance.
A paperlite approach only works if personnel feel comfortable with the change. Convenient training and accessible systems make it easier to adopt.
Identify where paper enters your organisation, which processes depend on it and where delays occur. Focus first on workflows where digitisation will unlock obvious value.
Define what “good” looks like for your documents by setting standards for file formats, naming conventions, retention rules and access roles.
Choose scanning standards that preserve quality and enable search (e.g., OCR), and capture meaningful metadata so records remain useful over time.
Create clear rules for what stays on paper, where it’s stored and for how long; keep exceptions tight and well documented.
Use secure repositories with version control, audit logging and retention capabilities that meet regulatory expectations
Track turnaround times, retrieval rates and storage volumes; use the data to fine‑tune your approach and extend the model to new areas.
Common pitfalls when moving to paperlite
• Attempting to do too much at once: Phasing is critical. Start with high-priority areas and accelerate slowly
• Underestimating compliance needs: Make sure document digitisation and storage solutions are designed with GDPR and industry standards in min
• Forgetting about accessibility: Digital records must be easy to retrieve for authorised staff; otherwise, you’re just swapping one bottleneck for another
• Lack of communication: Staff need to know why the change is happening, how it helps them, and what the process looks like
• Scanning without structure: Files without metadata or naming standards quickly become a new problem; set the rules before you start
• Ignoring retention and disposal: Paperlite still needs clear retention schedules and defensible disposal, both for paper and digital records
• Under-investing in change management: Tools alone won’t deliver adoption. Give people practical guidance and time to adjust.
Why partner with Restore Information Management on your paperlite journey
We at Restore Information Management know that digital transformation isn’t about pushing all of it up to the cloud in one go. It’s about building sustainable, compliant, and workable systems for the people using them.
With experience spanning more than 30 years, we’re the UK’s leading information management supplier, employed by more than a thousand organisations, many of which are NHS Trusts. We support the paperlite process through:
- Document scanning and digitisation so that records are easily accessible.
- Secure off-site storage of physical files that still need to be held
- Digital mailroom solutions to reduce paper at the point of entry
- Chain-of-custody handling to maintain traceability for sensitive files.
By merging digital transformation with secure off-site storage, we help organisations modernise without compromising continuity. It’s not about getting rid of paper, but instead making the most of it.
Moving forward with confidence
The future of information management is not black and white, paper or digital. It’s a balance. For NHS Trusts, local authorities, and businesses big and small, a paperlite strategy offers the most reasonable way forward. It gives efficiency, compliance, and sustainability, without demanding unrealistic change overnight.
If your organisation is ready to start its journey, Restore Information Management is here to deliver a seamless, secure, and personalised migration.
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