Single Patient Record To Support Joined-Up Care

Plans for a new Single Patient Record are set out in the NHS Modernisation Bill, have been introduced to Parliament. The proposed reforms aim to improve the way patient information is shared across NHS services in England, helping to create a more joined-up healthcare system.

Under the proposals, authorised healthcare professionals would be able to securely access a patient's medical history, medicines, allergies and treatment information, regardless of where care is provided. The intention is to reduce the need for patients to repeatedly provide the same information and to support more coordinated care between hospitals, GPs and community services.

The Department of Health and Social Care says the reforms could result in up to 20,000 fewer A&E attendances and 6,000 fewer hospital admissions each year through improved community-based care and better access to patient information. The Single Patient Record is also expected to help reduce medication errors, adverse drug reactions and duplicate prescribing, while giving clinicians quicker access to the information they need.

The Government estimates that the changes could save the NHS more than £20 million annually in medicines expenditure and free up around 500,000 hours of clinical time each year by reducing administrative tasks and time spent searching for records.

The Bill also includes wider NHS reforms, including the transfer of NHS England's functions into the Department of Health and Social Care. Alongside these changes, NHS Online is expected to launch in 2027, providing patients with access to virtual consultations and specialist care through the NHS App.

The first clinical uses of the Single Patient Record are expected to focus on areas including maternity and frailty care, with the aim of improving continuity of care and ensuring clinicians have access to more complete patient information when making treatment decisions.