Radiology and pathology results along with referrals are to be added to the Dorset Care Record (DCR).

Radiology results from Dorset County Hospital (DCHFT), Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals (RBCH) and Poole Hospital (PHFT), as well as pathology reports and referrals from Dorset County Hospital are now included on the shared record, which is part of the Wessex Local Health and Care Record Exemplar (LHCRE), also known as the Wessex Care Record.

This provides details on appointments, visits and hospital stays, helping GPs, community health and social care professionals who will be able to see records updated in real time.

The aim is to ultimately provide more joined up healthcare for those living in Dorset, with these particular additions being beneficial for senior clinicians, GPs, nurses and pharmacists.

Peter Gill, Director of informatics at Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and DCR senior responsible owner, said: “This is a significant milestone for the Dorset Care Record and will ensure that people will receive coordinated and safer care as well as enabling health and social care professionals to better understand the needs of patients across the county.”

The Dorset Care Record already holds demographic data from the county’s three acute hospitals, including name, date of birth, address, next of kin, NHS number and ethnicity.

It also contains GP records covering diagnosis, events, examinations, investigations, medication and allergies, procedures and risks.

In July 2018, information on inpatient, outpatient and admissions from Dorset County Hospital was also added to the record.

Work has also begun on developing the Dorset Care Record Citizen Portal, which will in time enable people to check their own records.

Two pilot groups, expectant mothers and certain cancer patients, have been chosen for the pilot of the Citizen Portal and are being developed in partnership with provider Orion Health.