The NHS is set to introduce a unified patient record to ensure vital medical notes are kept in one secure place. This means people will no longer have to repeat their medical histories to different doctors.
Government expects streamlined system to reduce errors
The Government expects this streamlined system to prevent 20,000 emergency department visits by reducing errors and misdiagnoses. GPs will now be legally obliged to upload all patient data to the record as part of NHS reforms in England, set out in the NHS Modernisation Bill, due to receive its second reading in the House of Commons today.
Ministers have also confirmed that the Government will take direct control of the health service by abolishing NHS England. This multi-billion-pound digital upgrade aims to finally connect hospitals and local surgeries seamlessly.
Expert opinion on the single patient record
Dr Alec Price-Forbes, chief clinical information officer at NHS England, said: "For too long, patient information has been held in silos, leading to patients having to repeat their stories, and creating workarounds, potential duplication or gaps in understanding for clinicians."
"The single patient record will give us an invaluable single point of truth for both the clinician and the patient and means higher quality, safer, more joined-up and more personalised care for patients."
The £10bn NHS digitisation aims to spare patients the frustration of having to recount their medical history every time they visit a hospital or return to their GP, reports Martin Bagot on the Mirror. While some emergency patient information – such as current medications and known allergies – is already intended to be accessible to all medical staff, hospitals still cannot view a patient's full medical history. GPs currently have to wait for letters, sent via email, from consultants to find out what happened to their patient during a hospital stay.
Health Secretary shares personal experience
Health Secretary James Murray said: "When I was in my 20s, I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition. I am now symptom-free, and I get fantastic support from the NHS. But I know how much effort it can be to keep different parts of the health service joined up, and how distressing it is for some patients to repeat their medical history over and over. That's why our single patient record is so important."
The single patient record is set to be made available to clinicians from next year, with patients eventually able to view their complete medical history through the NHS App. The initiative is designed to give patients greater control over their own care.
Combined with virtual care services, the single patient record is anticipated to cut A&E attendances among frail patients by approximately 10,000 through improved community care, with a further 10,000 reduction stemming from fewer misdiagnoses. Better management of long-term conditions at home is also expected to stop 6,000 unnecessary hospital admissions annually. Officials hope to treat many more people within their own communities rather than on wards.
The Government estimates that the technology will save doctors 500,000 hours of paperwork and file searches every year. Ministers have promised that incredibly strict security measures will be active to protect sensitive information.
Concerns from GPs over data security
Dr David Wrigley, deputy chair of the British Medical Association's GP committee, said: "While the idea of a single patient record may sound appealing to patients, GPs as the long-time and dedicated custodians of patient data, have some real concerns around what it means for security and confidentiality."
"GPs have protected patients' confidential records since the inception of the NHS in 1948 – a legal duty that they take incredibly seriously. We need clarity that this important GP oversight will not be taken away, otherwise it will raise serious questions about who is safeguarding patients' data. We must make sure that this law does not open up possibilities for patient data to be used inappropriately for purposes that patients would not reasonably expect."
The new legislation will also establish the country's first virtual NHS trust, facilitating online consultations between patients and clinicians nationwide. NHS Online is set to launch in 2027, delivering up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years — a figure the Government claims is four times that of an average hospital trust.
