The UK government has announced that shared NHS patient records could lead to 20,000 fewer A&E visits each year and save £20 million annually, 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, requiring GPs and hospitals to securely share data as part of the government's 10-year health plan.
Benefits of Single Patient Records
According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), combining SPRs with virtual care would reduce A&E attendances for frail patients by approximately 10,000 per year, with an additional 10,000 fewer visits due to fewer misdiagnoses. This would save doctors around 500,000 hours annually. The DHSC also predicts 6,000 fewer hospital admissions each year as a result of avoided A&E visits, improved heart failure management, and better mental health care. The £20 million savings would come from reducing medication errors, adverse drug reactions, and duplicate prescribing.
Implementation and Safeguards
The bill sets out a legislative framework for these 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 needing to repeat their issues. This change aims to join up 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 data controllers for patient records and can share them with third parties for research. The DHSC is likely to 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 removing control from GPs could damage trust and risk confidentiality.
Security and Trust
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 a system that people can trust. He told BBC1's Breakfast: "When people hear data, they think safety, they think data security. So when we’re building the system over the next couple of years, it will be crucial to have strict legal safeguards in place." He added that only specified people can access the data, with an audit trail and strong cybersecurity protections.
Broader Reforms
The bill abolishes NHS England, transferring its functions to the DHSC to cut bureaucracy. It will implement reforms from the 10-year health plan, including the Dash review regarding the Health Services Safety Investigations Body and Healthwatch. It also supports devolution of decision-making to a local level through integrated care boards and provider organisations. NHS Online, a virtual hospital model launching in 2027, will provide planned specialist care via the NHS app, aiming to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting is expected to tell the House of Commons that to continue cutting waiting times, the government must win the argument for change and modernisation. He will say: "Those who claim recent improvements in NHS performance are simply the result of more money are making exactly the same mistake that has held the NHS back for years. Investment matters, but we’re combining investment with reform: embracing technology, cutting bureaucracy, improving productivity and changing how care is delivered."
