DHSC lauds benefits of single patient record ahead of debate
The NHS digital single patient record (SPR) could result in 20,000 fewer A&E visits in England per year and save £20 million ($27 million) annually, according to the UK government.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has released the calculations ahead of a parliamentary debate on the recently introduced NHS Modernisation Bill, which has the creation of the SPR as a core policy, along with the abolition of NHS England, changes to the remit of integrated care boards (ICBs), and the creation of a new patient voice directorate and network to replace the Healthwatch programme.
The SPR or 'patient passport' programme will make it mandatory for GPs and hospitals to share patient data into a unified health and social care record that patients will be able to access via the NHS App, a move that lies at the heart of the government's £10 billion drive to digitalise the health service.
"When I was in my 20s, I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition," said James Murray, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. "I am now symptom-free, and I get fantastic support from the NHS. But I know how much effort it can be to keep different parts of the health service joined up, and how distressing it is for some patients to repeat their medical history over and over."
The SPR is important as it will mean doctors, nurses, and specialists across England can securely see a patient's medical history, no matter where they are treated, allowing them to deliver safer treatment and slashing an estimated 500,000 hours a year of doctor hours, according to the DHSC.
Combining SPRs with virtual care will deliver 6,000 fewer scheduled hospital admissions overall, 10,000 fewer A&E admissions for frail patients, and 10,000 fewer admissions due to misdiagnoses, according to the government, which expects to deliver the £20 million savings from reduced medication errors and adverse drug reactions and preventing duplicate prescribing.
The SPR is being opposed by the British Medical Association (BMA), which wants GP data in the SPR to remain in the hands of doctors as the legal "data controllers". Meanwhile, the UNISON trade union has called for the government to rule out any involvement of the controversial US tech company Palantir in delivering the SPR.
Chair of the NHS's virtual hospital trust named
Meanwhile, NHS Online, which will provide virtual specialist care for patients through the NHS App and video consultations, has now been formally established and will be chaired by retail executive John Browett, who has previously been chief executive of Tesco's online business, Dixons, Monsoon, Accessorize, and Dunelm.
The DHSC reckons that NHS Online will be able to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, around four times more than an average trust, helping to further cut waiting times. The service is due to launch in 2027.
