Patients entitled to "opt out".
Health Minister Lord Warner today set out key details of what patients and the public could expect from the NHS Care Records Service (electronic patient records).
Speaking at a Health Service Journal Conference in London, he talked about the need to properly inform patients about changes to the way their information might be held and shared under the care records service.
He said:
"Patients will be informed in advance about new ways in which their information will be held and shared and they will be told they have the right to dissent - or "opt out" - of having information shared.
"If patients do not "opt out" they will be deemed to have given implied consent to the sharing of their information, under strict controls between those legitimately treating them."
Whilst speaking about the implied consent model of the NHS Care Records Service, the Health Minister also highlighted how:
"It's worth bearing in mind that patients will be able to see their summary record and note any issues they wish on an electronic Healthspace."
The NHS Care Records Service will enable detailed patient records to be held locally, with a summary of the detailed record available nationally.
As it's implemented locally, rigorous safeguards are being put in place to protect patient confidentiality. Anyone wanting to access a record that identifies a patient will need to have a smartcard and passcode (chip and pin). The level of information that is seen will be determined by the role of the staff member. There will also be an audit trail of access to records and alerts will be triggered if there is inappropriate access.
Lord Warner spoke about the NHS Care Record Guarantee for England, published in May this year:
"This Guarantee, which owes a lot to the work of Harry Cayton our National Director for Patients and the Public, gives weight to people's autonomy over data sharing and control of what is shared, but balances that with the need for clinicians to keep good records and for anonymised information to be used for audit, management and research.
He also stated that he would soon reveal details of a campaign to tell people about electronic records.
"I shall shortly be launching a Public Information Programme, with both national roadshows and an explanatory leaflet going to most households across England. The initial activity is likely to be closely lined to the start of the early adopter of the summary care record service in the spring of 2007."
Lord Warner said linking the public information campaign to the early adopters would enable the information materials and approaches to be fully evaluated before wider roll out.
In his speech Lord Warner spoke about the NHS Care Records Taskforce, which was set up to address concerns around electronic patients records. Members include key stakeholders such as the Royal Colleges and the BMA. He said:
"It's important to note that we've put people on the taskforce who have concerns about the Care Records Service, and haven't just appointed supporters. The Taskforce is working hard to address the concerns expressed.
Lord Warner also spoke about the achievements of the NHS National Programme for IT(NPfIT), of which the NHS Care Records Service is a part and restated Government support for the programme
"Let me be clear and unequivocal: the Government is committed to ensuring that NPfIT is fully implemented and delivered. We are not going to be deflected by naysayers from any quarter. We recognise that more needs to be done on articulating the benefits that the Programme will bring to patients and also to NHS staff."
Lord Warner also spoke about how he was unconvinced of the need to conduct another review into the programme:
"...I do not support at the call by 23 academics to the House of Commons Health Select Committee to commission a review of NPfITs technical architecture. I want the programme's management and suppliers to concentrate on implementation, and not be diverted by attending to another review."
NOTES TO EDITORS
Lord Warner spoke at the HSJ conference 'Demystifying the National Programme for IT.
The NHS National Programme for IT will create a multi-billion pound information infrastructure, which will improve patient care by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of clinicians and other NHS staff. It will do this by:
- Creating an NHS Care Records Service to improve the sharing of patients' records across the NHS
- Making it easier and faster for GPs and other primary care staff to book hospital appointments for patients
- Providing a system for electronic transmission of prescriptions
- Ensuring that the IT infrastructure can meet NHS needs now and in the future
The NHS National Programme for IT is enabling reforms across the NHS. It is critical to the success of these reforms because:
- Traditional paper-based systems do not support rapid sharing which is key in a modern NHS
- Increasingly patients receive treatment from many healthcare professionals, and with a more mobile society people want to use the NHS at different times and in different places
- Patients want greater involvement in the decisions made about their care
NHS Connecting for Health is the agency responsible for the provision of IT service to the NHS, and delivery of the National Programme for IT.
