New online health tracker launched for use by NHS patients

An online health tracker has been launched by the government that is designed to provide NHS patients with access to more data on the progress of their recovery.

The HealthUnlocked Tracker has been unveiled by health secretary Andrew Lansley and is the UK's first online patient-reported outcome measures system, offering web-based functionality using the Apple iPad.

It gives patients and clinicians instant access to information relating to their treatment, making it easier to quantify the benefits of therapy approaches, while placing the patient at the centre of care.

The system is currently being trialled at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital to measure the effectiveness of spinal surgery and is intended to be accessible to 50 per cent of all chronic disease patients by 2016.

Mr Lansley said: "We are committed to creating an environment in the NHS where new medical technologies like this can flourish."

Last week, the health secretary expressed his satisfaction with the progress made in improving NHS efficiency in the 12 months since the coalition government came to power.