Consultation on use of records
The Department of Health is to launch a series of pilots to examine how patients can opt out of having their records viewed for research purposes after its consultation found a wide gap between the views of researchers and the public. This week the DH published the results of its consultation on wider use of […]
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DH seeks tougher sanctions for security breaches
The government is seeking an increase in penalties for NHS staff that breach the Data Protection Act. Health minister, Ben Bradshaw, made the pledge at a debate on the health select committee report on electronic patient records in Westminster last Thursday. This followed evidence read by chair of the committee, Kevin Barron, citing examples of […]
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Government rejects consent call for SUS use
The government has rejected calls from the Commons Health Select Committee to apply consent to the use of Secondary Uses Service data for research purposes, including information in ‘sealed envelopes’. In its official response to the committee’s report on the Electronic Patient Record the government says that the design of the Secondary Uses Services (SUS) […]
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Confusion surrounds Summary Care Record
Indecision about the Summary Care Record has led to confusion about its content and purpose, according to a report from MPs. The Health Committee has heavily criticised both the Department of Health and Connecting for Health for confusion about what will be included in the SCR and what the record will be used for. In their enquiry […]
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DH explains summary and detailed records
Guidance on how the two elements of the NHS electronic patient record – the detailed and summary records – will work in England has been released by the Department of Health. The guidance re-iterates that only the Summary Care Record (SCR) will be a national system, and that patients can opt-out from data being visible […]
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Debate over legality of Care Record Guarantee
British data protection laws used to create the Care Record Guarantee could fall foul of new European Commission data protection laws, adopted in February according to an international law expert. However, the view expressed to the parliamentary select committee on health by Douwe Korff, professor of international law at London Metropolitan University, was vigorously opposed […]
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‘Sealed envelopes’ on hold as policy debate continues
Local service providers (LSPs) are unable to deploy sealed envelope functionality because a clear specification looking at how the policy should work is not yet available, the Commons Health Select Committee heard today. Computer Science Corporation’s president of the Europe Group, Guy Hains told the committee that the LSP to the North-west and West Midlands, […]
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Lessons already being learned from early adopters
Dr Gillian Braunold explains how pragmatism and common sense are the touchstone of the summary care record early adopters, which are already shaping policy for future roll-out.
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Starting gun fired for Summary Care Record roll-out
The government’s ambitious plan for a national system of electronic summary care patient records (SCR) will begin trials tomorrow at two GP practices in Bolton, in the north-west of England. Approximately 14,500 patients will have a summary of the GP record, containing details of name, address, medication history, serious illnesses and allergies, uploaded to a […]
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Opt-out consent model to be kept for SCR
The government is to stick to its plan that patients must opt-out of the NHS Care Records Service (NCRS), although some patients will now get the chance to view their record online before information is uploaded for sharing. The decision appears to have won the backing of the British Medical Association and the Royal College […]
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