Patient information: how ICTs can help
Fiona Barr looks at the role information technology can play in providing greater information for patients.
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Healthcare assistants’ access to SCR defended
Connecting for Health has defended the decision to allow healthcare assistants to access Summary Care Records (SCRs) in accident and emergency departments. Royal Bolton Hospital’s A&E department has been criticised by BMA IT representative Dr Paul Cundy after a document, released under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed that healthcare assistants are asked to print […]
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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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Conservative MP opts-out of SCR
A Conservative MP has opted out of the Summary Care Record and is encouraging his constituents to do the same. Peter Luff, MP for mid-Worcestershire, wrote to his GP requesting that details from his medical records are not uploaded on to the Spine. Luff told EHI Primary Care that he acted after hearing about the […]
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CfH appoints two new GP clinical leads
Connecting for Health has appointed two new GP national clinical leads – former EMIS national user group chair Dr Manpreet Pujara and former NPfIT clinical lead for Derby City and County, Dr Peter Short. The GPs will replace Professor Mike Pringle and Dr Gillian Braunold. Their role is to involve GPs directly in developing the benefits […]
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CfH launches new Summary Care Record film
Connecting for Health has produced a new film detailing the experiences of patients and clinicians in the Summary Care Record (SCR) early adopter areas. The film, entitled ‘Summary Care Records: The Story So Far’ expands on literature already available to NHS patients and staff on the Care Records Service website. The video features interviews with […]
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Four-fifths of doctors say electronic record insecure
Four-fifths of doctors are concerned that current plans for patients’ health records to be available from a central database – the summary care record – will make them insecure, according to a survey for the Times. Asked what level of confidence they had that central health records will be secure, 80% of GP respondents said […]
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Up to 200,000 request SCR opt-out forms
An estimated 200,000 people have requested or downloaded opt-out documents for the NHS Summary Care Record (SCR), according to a campaign group. The Big Opt Out, which is campaigning against plans for a national database of patient information, told the Daily Mail there had been 200,000 website downloads or requests for letters which people can send to their […]
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PCTs must roll-out summary records in 2008-09
PCT IM&T plans for the next financial year must include the roll-out of the Summary Care Record and the full implementation of Directly Bookable Services (DBS) for Choose and Book, according to latest guidance from the Department of Health. The guidance sets out the DH’s key expectations on IM&T for 2008/9 and the roles of […]
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2007 in review
As the year draws to a close E-Health Insider casts an eye over the health IT developments that made the news in 2007.
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