Shared NHS patient records could cut 20,000 A&E visits a year, ministers claim
Summary
The UK government plans to share patient health records across NHS services in England to reduce emergency visits and save money. The new NHS modernisation bill aims to create a single patient record for each person and improve care by securely sharing medical data between GPs, hospitals, and social care providers.Key Facts
- Sharing patient records could reduce emergency room visits by 20,000 a year and save £20 million.
- The bill will create a single patient record (SPR) for everyone receiving health or social care in England.
- SPR combined with virtual care is expected to reduce A&E visits for frail patients by about 10,000.
- The change could save doctors roughly 500,000 hours annually by improving efficiency.
- There could be 6,000 fewer hospital admissions yearly due to better management of heart failure and mental health.
- All NHS providers, including private healthcare working with the NHS, will share data securely with patient consent.
- The bill will abolish NHS England and move its functions to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
- The British Medical Association wants doctors to keep control of patient record data, warning that removing their control could affect trust and confidentiality.
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