Legislation requiring GPs and hospitals in England to share patient data to create a single patient record (SPR) for each individual will be announced in the King's Speech on Wednesday. The move is part of a £10bn digitisation of the NHS, which Health Secretary Wes Streeting described as a 'gamechanger' that would save lives.
The SPR aims to end the frustration of patients having to repeat their medical history at every appointment and ensure paramedics can access records during emergencies. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed that SPRs will be available to clinicians in parts of the NHS as early as next year, including in maternity and frailty care.
Currently, GPs are data controllers for their patients' records and can share them with third parties for research, while hospitals handle their own data. The new legislation will shift responsibility and force data sharing. However, GP leaders have expressed concerns about liability for errors introduced by other providers, warning that without statutory clarity and indemnity, data sharing could be slowed.
The British Medical Association has called for doctors to remain in control of GP data within the SPR, rather than the DHSC, arguing that removing control from GPs could damage trust and risk confidentiality. The NHS Alliance, representing hospitals and NHS leaders, emphasised the need for the bill to clearly define who is responsible for patient data, both for care and other purposes like research, to avoid undermining public trust.
The legislation is part of a health bill that will also scrap NHS England by 2027. The DHSC stated that patients would receive safer, quicker, and more accurate healthcare, with clear safeguards and audit trails, and that public and healthcare professionals would be consulted throughout the design process.
