Health notes to go online
Reporter: Richard Hooton
Date published: 17 February 2010
Move promises to improve patient care
HEALTH chiefs say online records will improve patient care in Oldham.
A new system is being launched in the borough that will allow doctors working out of hours or in an emergency situation to access patients’ basic medical details via computer.
The Summary Care Record is a secure electronic record of vital health information that can be shared between health-care staff involved in that patient’s care, ensuring important information is at hand during treatment.
The innovative scheme will give doctors and nurses access to information about patients’ allergies, medication and any bad reactions they may have had to medication in the past.
NHS leaders say it will greatly increase effective access to patient information and ensure that medical professionals have details of a patient’s essential medical history in the event of an emergency.
It can only be accessed by staff directly involved in a patient’s treatment and patients will be asked for their permission before their record is accessed.
Summary Care Records are being introduced across Oldham in phases starting with four GP practices — Alexandra Group Medical Practice at Glodwick Primary Care Centre; Saddleworth Medical Practice, Uppermill; St Mary’s Medical Centre, Oldham; Dr Trewinnard, Integrated Care Centre, Oldham.
Over 25,000 patients will shortly receive a letter from NHS Oldham explaining about the scheme and giving them the choice to opt out. They will have 12 weeks to make a decision before the records are created.
The records will be available to out of hours doctors at Go To Doc and clinicians at the Royal Oldham Hospital from the autumn.
Local hospitals Fairfield General and Bolton Royal are already able to access Summary Care Records and eventually they will be available to doctors at every hospital.
NHS Oldham director of clinical leadership Shauna Dixon said: “Summary Care Records can offer major improvements to patient care and safety.
“Currently if a patient is treated out of hours or in an emergency the doctors will know very little about them.
“Having access to key information online will mean that they can make more informed decisions.”
For more details call the NHS Care Records Line on 0845 603 8510 or get in touch with the Oldham Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 389 8679.
