New plans detail wider use of digital technology for NHS services

National health and social care organisations have announced new plans to improve health outcomes and the quality of patient care through digital technology and innovation.

The National Information Board has set out a series of new targets and goals between now and 2020, including a commitment to give everyone online access to their GP records, viewed through approved apps and digital platforms, by next year.

This will be extended to include all health records by 2018, making it easier than ever for patients to look at details of their GP and hospital visits, prescriptions, test results, adverse reactions and drug allergies, while recording their preferences and thoughts alongside official medical notes.

Other steps include new NHS benchmarks for trusted smartphone apps in 2015 and a digital 'red book' to help parents manage their children's early health records from 2016 onwards.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "I want the NHS to be a world-class showcase of what innovation can achieve. Today's plan sets out how we can give patients 21st century, personalised healthcare."

Mr Hunt has previously stated that he hopes the NHS will be able to go completely paperless by 2018, a goal that will be more achievable once these steps are taken.