The government has claimed that sharing access to patients' health data across NHS providers in England could result in 20,000 fewer A&E visits annually and save £20 million per year. The claims come ahead of the second reading of the NHS modernisation bill on Monday.
The bill, which also proposes abolishing NHS England, includes measures to introduce single patient records (SPR) for everyone receiving health and social care in England. This would require GPs and hospitals to securely share data as part of the government's 10-year health plan.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), combining SPRs with virtual care could reduce A&E attendances for frail patients by about 10,000 a year, with another 10,000 fewer visits due to fewer misdiagnoses. This would save doctors approximately 500,000 hours annually. The DHSC also predicts 6,000 fewer hospital admissions per year from avoided A&E attendances, better heart failure management, and improved mental health care. The £20 million savings would come from reducing medication errors, adverse drug reactions, and duplicate prescribing.
The bill sets out a legislative framework for the measures, with maternity and frailty care expected to benefit from 2027. All NHS providers, including hospitals and GPs, would share data so medical professionals can access a patient's medical history without patients having to repeat their issues. The change would integrate community services and help people manage their conditions. Patients would have more control over their care, with clear safeguards, audit trails, and choice over how their data is used. Social care records and those from private healthcare providers working on behalf of the NHS would also be included.
Currently, GPs are the data controllers for their patients' records and can share them with third parties for research. It is likely the DHSC will also become a data controller for GP records when they are shared into the system. The British Medical Association has called for doctors to remain in control of GP data, warning that any move to take control away from GPs would damage trust and risk confidentiality. The system would have security and privacy by design, allowing anyone to see who has accessed an SPR, with existing clinical protocols governing what is shared.
James Murray, the new health secretary, emphasised the importance of building the system with strict legal safeguards to ensure public trust. The bill also abolishes NHS England, transferring its functions to the DHSC to cut bureaucracy, and introduces measures to support devolution of decision-making to integrated care boards and provider organisations. NHS Online, a virtual hospital model launching in 2027, aims to provide the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years.
