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Majority of patients now have a summary care record

02/10/15

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NHS England’s National Information Board says most ambulance and 111 services now have access to view the SCR

More than 96% of people of registered with a GP in England now have a summary care record – the electronic record of key patient data – according to the newly published NIB Prospectus from the NHS National Information Board (NIB).

It has highlighted the figure in its foreword as an example of progress reducing the reliance on paper records in the NHS.

It also says that 73% of ambulance, 85% of 111 and 35% of A&E services now have access to view the records, which provide clinicians and paramedics with information on patients such as their medication and any adverse drug reactions.

The other stand-out statistics in the prospectus are that in the first quarter of the year more than 3.7 million repeat prescriptions were ordered online, and that there has been a momentum for the use of MyNHS - the website providing information on the performance of health and social care bodies - with a total of 289,000 hits since September 2014, 272,500 searches completed and 6,608 data downloads.

Strategy progress

The document outlines the progress in implementing the Personalised Health and Care 2020 strategy, published in November of last year, pointing to plans to develop performance indicators for six programme areas: digital channel shift to help patients make the right choices; transforming general practice; out of hospital care and integration with social care; acute and hospital services; paper-free healthcare and system transactions; and data for outcomes and research.

Following the publication, the chief executive of the Health and Social Care Information Committee, Andy Williams, said it has turned the strategy proposals into a series of roadmaps, and is now converting them into a delivery plan. The majority will be driven by local organisations, although some will be led from the centre.

Williams highlighted four elements:

  • collecting and using information to benefit patients as they move around the health and care system
  • using technology to join local health communities together
  • giving patients digital access to their health records, along with the ability to book appointments
  • and making more use of health apps.

“We have asked local commissioners, in tandem with local authorities, providers, and citizens to come together and develop plans to achieve locally designed, fully interoperable digital records for patients and citizens,” he said. “Nationally we need to provide the right tools and support and foster the conditions in which these communities can flourish, starting with an open dialogue.”

Image from GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0

 

 

 

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