British patients ‘want wider medical access to GP records’

Most NHS patients are keen for their GP records to be made widely available to healthcare professionals in order to facilitate the provision of care.

A survey carried out by EMIS Group and YouGov has revealed that 85 percent want any healthcare professional treating them to have secure electronic access to key data from their GP record.

More than three-quarters of those polled – 77 percent – believe this would improve patient care, with 69 percent saying it would reduce avoidable treatment errors and 67 percent noting it will save them the frustration of having to repeat information to medical staff.

It was also shown that 58 percent are unaware that hospital doctors are often unable to electronically access information from GP medical records, instead having to rely on faxed copies or simply doing without.

Chris Spencer, chief executive officer of healthcare information specialist EMIS Group, said: "Patients clearly want their records to be shared more effectively between medical professionals treating them. The technology exists to make this happen."

Last year, the Department of Health laid down a challenge for the NHS to go paperless by 2018, with an eye towards addressing issues such as this.