The British government will announce legislation this Wednesday in the King's Speech to create a single patient record for every person in England. The new system will require GPs and hospitals to share patient data with each other for the first time making a person's complete medical history accessible across all healthcare providers. The move is part of a £10 billion digitisation programme for the NHS.
The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting said the single patient record would be a gamechanger that would save lives. He said there was nothing more frustrating for patients than having to repeat their medical history at every appointment. He also highlighted the risks faced by paramedics arriving at emergencies who currently have no access to a patient's medical records. Streeting said the new system would give NHS staff the ability to see a patient's full record allowing them to deliver better care faster, as reported by The Guardian.
