Single patient record could cut 20,000 A&E visits a year, gov claims
- 1 June 2026
- The government says the proposed single patient record could prevent 20,000 A&E visits a year and save more than £20m annually in medicines costs
- The NHS Modernisation Bill, which is being debated in parliament today, would require all NHS providers to share patient data
- Clinicians are set to gain access to shared records from 2027, while NHS Online has been formally established with John Browett appointed as chair
The government has claimed that the planned single patient record (SPR) could prevent up to 20,000 A&E visits a year and save the NHS more than £20 million annually.
The NHS Modernisation Bill, which was announced in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 and will be debated in parliament today (1 June), includes proposed reforms such as the abolition of NHS England and a requirement for all NHS providers to share patient data to create a SPR.
The government says the SPR will help join up fragmented health information and improve access to patient records across care settings.
It will give clinicians across the country a complete view of patients’ medicines, allergies and prescribing history, allowing them to deliver safer treatment while saving more than £20 million per year in unnecessary medicines expenditure, according to ministers.
James Murray, health secretary, said: “When I was in my 20s, I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition. 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.
“That’s why our Single Patient Record is so important. It sits at the heart of our NHS Modernisation Bill and will end this once and for all – making care safer while saving clinicians’ time.
“My priority as health secretary is to modernise the NHS and make it work better for patients. This is our 10 year health plan in action — making the NHS fit for the future by building it around patients’ lives, not the other way round.”
The government estimates that 20,000 fewer patients will have to go to A&E thanks to these reforms.
The estimate is based on evidence suggesting that the SPR, alongside virtual care, could reduce A&E attendances among frail patients by around 10,000 a year, with a further 10,000 avoided through fewer misdiagnoses resulting from clinicians having access to a complete patient record.
Clinicians will get improved access to records as early as 2027 for specialties including maternity and frailty care.
Dr Alec Price-Forbes, national chief clinical information officer at NHS England, said: “For too long, patient information has been held in silos, leading to patients having to repeat their stories, and creating workarounds, potential duplication or gaps in understanding for clinicians.
“The Single Patient Record will give us an invaluable single point of truth for both the clinician and the patient and means higher quality, safer, more joined-up and more personalised care for patients.”
The NHS Modernisation Bill second reading comes on the day the chair of the NHS’s new online hospital trust has been named, following a recruitment process which started in January 2026.
Launching in 2027, NHS Online will be a new, optional online service allowing patients to digitally connect with clinicians across England. Doctors will be able to provide appointments through the service, which the government says will help reduce waiting lists and improve access to care.
It has now been formally established as the Online NHS Trust with John Browett as chair.
