NHS England and NHS Wales: Medical Records
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring electronic medical record systems in NHS England and NHS Wales can exchange patient information more easily.
Answered by Dr Zubir Ahmed
Ensuring information can be shared between services is essential for safe and effective care. Improving this will enable better informed clinical and care decision-making that is empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information, enhancing the quality and safety of care for patients.
NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients. Further information on electronic patient records for trusts and foundation trusts is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/
To ensure continuity of care and to reduce delays in treatment, NHS England is working with NHS Wales on improving the interoperability of services, sharing care records, technical collaboration on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources based messaging standards, and longer-term ambitions for a single patient record.
The Government's 10-Year Health Plan includes the objective of delivering a single patient record. We will be engaging with the devolved administrations on the single patient record, to support appropriate cross-border referrals, and appropriate information sharing to inform good decision-making, support healthcare, and minimise risk to patients.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →