Renal patients get online records

Health minister Rosie Winterton is to unveil a new site for renal patients that will allow them to manage their conditions online and even view test results.

The Renal Patient View (RPV) site, developed by the Renal Exchange Group, has been beta testing in a number of renal units since the end of last year. It is currently operational at Leeds St James, Birmingham Heartlands, Glasgow Western Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital, with another seven units pending.

Professor Neil Turner, head of the Renal Exchange Group and trustee of Kidney ResearchUK, said: "We think this could be a leap forward for patients. It immediately increases patient involvement and clarity between primary and secondary care, and it is achieved simply by sharing existing information. It’s had a great reception so far."

Patients can log into the NHS-branded site to access their own diagnosis and medical history, as well as view the medicines they are taking and view referral letters. The site is free to patients to use, and the patient’s GP and renal unit staff dealing with the case can also access the information online.

Each renal unit is charged a small setup fee, and the site currently only works with one system, namely Proton, but work is underway to add the system to more packages. A number of sites are awaiting approval from their Caldicott Guardians in order to start using the service.

The Renal Patient View project began in June 2004 and has been funded by the Department of Health as well as the Scottish and Welsh NHS. According to Kidney Research UK, around four hundred patients are already using the system.