Doctor develops diagnostic diabetes software
A GP has developed software that he believes could help identify up to 60,000 patients with undiagnosed diabetes. The software has already been installed in EMIS practices following the research project conducted by Dr Tim Holt, a GP in Warwickshire and clinical lecturer at Warwick University Medical School. Dr Holt and his colleagues looked for […]
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New information governance board announced
Members of the new National Information Governance Board for health and social care in England, the body who will be responsible for ownership of the Care Record Guarantee have been named by the Department of Health Chair of Connecting for Health’s Care Record Development Board (CRDB), Harry Cayton will continue as the new chair of […]
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Uncertainty over legality of NCRS
Health minister Ben Bradshaw has refused to release information on the legality of the NHS Care Records Service (NCRS) and played down suggestions the NHS database will breach European law. Bradshaw was responding to Jeremy Wright MP who had contacted the health minister on behalf of one of his constituents Dr Paul Thornton, a GP […]
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GPs say N3 slow speeds limiting use of systems
GPs are reporting more problems with N3 connections and system speeds which they say are affecting their ability to run both Connecting for Health applications and local surgery systems. The problems appear to be particularly acute for practices with branch surgeries. In Kent Dr Stephen Meech’s Maidstone practice has a 1MB connection which he has […]
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South Warwickshire authorises shared smartcard use
South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust has confirmed that its board has agreed that clinicians working in part of its A&E Department can share smartcards to access patient records. The trust passed the policy after deciding that the lengthy log-in times, averaging 60-90 seconds, it takes staff to log-on to the hospital’s new patient administration […]
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Local sealed envelopes ‘probably safer’
A risk analysis conducted for NHS Connecting for Health has concluded that patient care would probably be safer using locally held sealed envelopes rather than storing them on the NHS data spine. The recommendations in the internal document, written by risk management company Det Norske Veritas and delivered to CfH in September, would seem to […]
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Redundancies may include IT staff says Coventry PCT
Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust cannot guarantee that IT staff will be immune from redundancies following yesterday’s announcement confirming that up to 90 staff will be made redundant by the PCT. In a statement, the trust announced: “The likely redundancies will be across a range of areas and will include both primary and community care […]
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Patient records may only be shared locally, say CfH
Detailed electronic patient records will not be accessible outside the local groups of organisations that created them, in direct contradiction of the government’s vision of records available “wherever and whenever you need them”, it has emerged. An internal document produced by Connecting for Health reveals that although its proposed consent model would allow clinicians across […]
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GP calls for judicial review of NCRS consent
A GP is calling for a judicial review of the government’s consent plans for the NHS Care Records Service (NCRS). Dr Paul Thornton, a GP in Warwickshire with a special interest in patient privacy and confidentiality law, has prepared a nine-page document setting out why he believes the government’s proposals for the NCRS are unlawful […]
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ID cards database could store medical records
Details of patients’ medical records could potentially appear on the ID card database if an amendment to the ID Cards Bill is passed, according to an international law firm specialising in IT. Pinsent Masons says on its website that the government has tabled an amendment which could be used to allow the ID card database to […]
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