Juliet Bauer confirms NHS.uk to become gateway to GP records by September
From September the newly revamped NHS Choices will become NHS.uk and the gateway to order repeat prescriptions, book appointments, register for a GP and find a pharmacy.
By the same date NHS.uk is also due to become the route for individuals to be able to access their GP records.
In an interview with Digital Health News, Juliet Bauer, director of digital experience at NHS England, the 30 September deadline, specified in the NHS Digital March board papers, remains achievable.
Bauer said that at least 80 different conditions will be on the new website, alongside more “action based and service based information”.
“It doesn’t sound like rocket science, but they are the things that people want, and these are the things that have traditionally been hard in a system that isn’t all tied together.”
NHS.uk has been through several iterations, in September 2016 Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, announced plans to overhaul NHS Choices, but the NHS.uk team has been blogging about the project since 2015.
Bauer said the facilities available on NHS.uk have been informed by the needs of the 10.4 million people using Patient Online, the government’s programme to allow patients to access GP records.
“[It’s] very much based on what people are looking for, and we know that because we’ve got 10.4 million people already doing it.”
NHS.uk is also due to be the portal through which patients can access their GP record.
“At the moment the best route to link you through to your record will be through to your GP system because that’s the most complete record and accurate and safe record that’s available.”
“Over time we want it to link through to the most comprehensive record available but clearly we are only as good as what’s available.”
A space for developers to link into NHS data has also been launched, and Bauer says over the next year she wants to see apps beginning to link their data onto NHS.uk.
Bauer said, “The real power of the ecosystem is when apps are connected in to your own personal health data and records and so that’s why at the same time we’ve launched developer.nhs. which is where you will go to see how you can connect in to the various information sources and that really is exciting.”
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Read Digital Health News’ full interview with Juliet Bauer.
9 Comments
It’s not something I would use, as I can do all this already direct to the practice.
My worry would be who else can see it.
This is likely to have some impact on regional record sharing initiatives, many of which have a current, or future, requirement to provide solutions for patient access to records and other common functions such as prescription refills or appointments. I think one of the other comments alluded to this but are NHS England planning to mandate this as the ONLY method of patient access (making supplier products surplus to requirements) or are they offering a free alternative in an growing market??
This is very welcome for GP records. Is it the intention that ALL patient portals for NHS patients be required (is including secondary care, mental health portals etc) should be accessible via this route.
Personally I would support this. It needs to be telegraphed very clearly to vendors to ensure they have time to comply, but it shouldn’t be in the distant future.
A single point of access for a patient to any patient portal that holds records on them is essential to ensure maximum utilisation.
Tell to the suppliers who have no contractual obligation to do that… because of failures in the past.
Good questions but I could start listing the reasons why patients wouldn’t want this or can’t have this.
(Don’t believe they have come from patients though)
A gateway (like the others)?
Or *the only* gateway?
Reading between all the lines… another gateway. But, at least under the NHS brand.
Is that 10.4 million actively engaged and using it or just it has been enabled for 10.4 million?
I hope the new service will give me proper data portability so I can use it with apps and services I want to.
Good i.e. news
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