Written by Technical Team | Last updated 01.08.2025 | 6 minute read
For digital health innovators seeking to work with NHS Trusts, one of the most common technical requirements is to integrate with a Trust Integration Engine (TIE). Increasingly, Mirth Connect by NextGen Healthcare is the engine of choice within NHS organisations. As a powerful healthcare integration platform, Mirth Connect enables data to be exchanged, transformed and routed seamlessly between disparate clinical systems. For suppliers looking to bring their digital health solutions to NHS Trusts, understanding Mirth Connect integration is critical to ensuring smooth onboarding and compliance with NHS digital infrastructure standards.
Mirth Connect is a flexible healthcare integration engine that facilitates the exchange of structured and semi-structured health data across diverse clinical and administrative systems. It was originally developed as an open-source solution but is now provided under a commercial licence by NextGen Healthcare, with the latest version offering a range of premium features designed to support interoperability at scale. The platform has become widely adopted across NHS Trusts due to its ability to manage the complex messaging and data transformation needs of modern healthcare, particularly in relation to HL7, FHIR and XML-based standards.
The NHS requires robust, reliable and adaptable solutions for interoperability, and Mirth Connect has proven itself as a trusted choice. Trusts value its capacity to handle large message volumes, support for multiple messaging protocols, and advanced transformation capabilities that allow systems to communicate even when data formats differ. Additionally, with regulatory pressures such as the 21st Century Cures Act and UK information governance requirements, Mirth Connect offers NHS organisations a future-proof solution for compliance and secure data sharing. For digital health innovators, this means that integrating with Mirth Connect is often not optional but an essential part of market entry into NHS Trusts.
Mirth Connect integration typically involves building communication channels between your application and the NHS Trust’s systems via the TIE. Each channel defines how messages are received, transformed and delivered. For example, a digital health platform might send structured clinical data in HL7 format, which Mirth Connect then transforms into a format compatible with the Trust’s electronic patient record (EPR) system. The flexibility of Mirth Connect allows for sophisticated routing rules, custom scripts, and the application of security measures such as SSL encryption, all of which ensure data is handled safely and meets NHS interoperability standards.
For innovators, the technical journey usually begins with working closely with the Trust’s integration team to understand local requirements. This could include message structure specifications, testing in a staging environment, and aligning with NHS information governance frameworks. Many integrations will also involve FHIR APIs, reflecting the wider NHS commitment to open standards and modern interoperability practices.
Successfully integrating with Mirth Connect can deliver a range of benefits for digital health innovators. Firstly, it provides a single point of connection into the NHS Trust’s digital ecosystem, significantly reducing the need for bespoke integrations with each system in use. This saves both time and cost during deployment. Secondly, Mirth Connect’s ability to transform and validate messages helps to ensure data quality and reduces the risk of integration errors, protecting clinical workflows from disruption.
Another benefit lies in scalability. Once an integration has been proven in one NHS Trust using Mirth Connect, the technical approach can often be replicated across multiple Trusts, accelerating market expansion. Furthermore, by demonstrating the ability to integrate seamlessly with Mirth Connect, innovators strengthen their credibility with NHS decision-makers, who prioritise solutions that can be easily embedded into existing workflows.
While the benefits are clear, digital health innovators must also be aware of the challenges involved in Mirth Connect integration. One common hurdle is the licensing model: as of version 4.6, Mirth Connect operates under a proprietary licence, meaning that innovators may need to work through contractual and support arrangements with the Trust or NextGen Healthcare. Another challenge relates to the complexity of NHS systems, which often involve multiple legacy platforms, each with its own quirks and requirements. Thorough testing and close collaboration with the Trust’s IT and integration teams are therefore essential.
Additionally, compliance with NHS data protection standards, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT), must be factored into every stage of integration. Innovators need to ensure that their solutions not only technically integrate but also meet stringent requirements for security, auditability and data governance.
To illustrate, consider a digital health company offering a remote monitoring solution for patients with long-term conditions. By integrating with Mirth Connect at an NHS Trust, the solution can automatically push patient-generated health data into the Trust’s EPR system, ensuring clinicians have access to up-to-date information within their existing workflow. Conversely, Mirth Connect can route relevant clinical updates back to the innovator’s platform, allowing for two-way communication. Such integrations not only improve clinical efficiency but also support better patient outcomes through timely data exchange.
Another example might involve an AI-powered triage tool that analyses patient records to support clinical decision-making. Mirth Connect integration enables the tool to retrieve structured patient data from the Trust’s systems, process it through the AI engine, and then return the triage results in a format that can be immediately consumed by the Trust’s clinical applications.
For innovators new to Mirth Connect, accessing the right training and support can significantly ease the integration process. NextGen Healthcare offers comprehensive training programmes, including Fundamentals and Advanced courses, as well as certification options. NHS Trusts often have dedicated integration teams familiar with Mirth Connect who can guide external suppliers through testing and deployment. Engaging early with these stakeholders is key to ensuring smooth progress.
Furthermore, NextGen provides a range of enterprise features through its support tiers, including monitoring dashboards, SSL management and enhanced message history, all of which can be valuable when deploying solutions that must meet NHS expectations for resilience and reliability.
For digital health innovators, the ability to deliver effective Mirth Connect integration can make the difference between securing a contract with an NHS Trust and being overlooked in favour of competitors. With Mirth Connect increasingly central to the NHS interoperability landscape, suppliers must be prepared to demonstrate both technical capability and compliance assurance. By approaching integration strategically—investing in the right expertise, engaging proactively with Trust integration teams, and planning for scalability—innovators can unlock significant opportunities to deliver value across the NHS.
Mirth Connect integration is fast becoming a critical success factor for digital health innovators seeking to engage with NHS Trusts. As a leading TIE, Mirth Connect underpins the secure, standards-based exchange of clinical information that modern healthcare depends on. Innovators who understand how to integrate effectively with Mirth Connect can accelerate adoption of their solutions, strengthen trust with NHS stakeholders, and ultimately contribute to better patient outcomes. For those serious about scaling in the NHS, mastering Mirth Connect integration is not just a technical requirement—it is a strategic imperative.
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