asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have for allowing NHS patients to be responsible for their own medical records when they do not wish them to be on the NHS database. [HL4768]
Patients are able to opt out of having their clinical information uploaded to the “spine”, the national database of key information about patients' health and care within the NHS Care Records Service, by choosing not to have summary care record. Clinicians are none the less required by their professional bodies, and for clinical governance and medico-legal reasons, to keep clear, accurate, legible and contemporaneous patient records, and to keep these secure and confidential.
It is good practice for all those who provide care to patients to discuss and agree with them what they are going to record and, if asked, to show what they have recorded and to provide copies of any letters they write. In this way all patients are able to have responsibility for the content, accuracy and completeness of their own records in whatever form they are kept.
Since December 2003, we have provided the facility for patients to store their personal health information on a secure website, HealthSpace. This effectively provides people with their own on-line personal health organiser. It is a free service available to all National Health Service patients living in England aged 16 and over. HealthSpace offers a set of basic features to support people in managing their health, including a diary feature with a calendar/reminder service and address book; personal health history with the ability to record key metrics for chronic disease management, for example weight, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels; a search system for local NHS services information; and access to the choose and book online booking service.
In 2007, HealthSpace also started providing people in areas covered by the NHS Summary Care Record Early Adopter Programme with the option of on-line access to their summary care records. Eventually, this option will be available to all NHS patients in England.