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Planned GP Online Records (Prospective/future record) Access

Prospective/future records access means access to information and data added to the patient record from a set date (6 Sept 2023) onwards.

Prospective/future record access: Go Live Date: 6 Sept 2023

You may have read on this website or heard in the media about Prospective/future record access. This refers to a plan to provide patients with online accounts, who do not already have access, with digital access to their medical records. The access is to all areas of your medical record, including documents and test results (once they have been assessed and filed by your practice). This applies to Patient Access, as well as the NHS App and other online services providers. The reason for the change is that evidence has demonstrated that better access to health information enables patients to become partners in managing their health and long-term conditions. This is an NHS England programme supported by NHS Digital.

The change, when enabled, will not affect:

Those under the age of 16
Proxy accounts

Some information may be restricted from a minority of patients due to safeguarding concerns. Your GP practice manages your online access to your medical record. Upon reviewing your records:

You think that there is any missing information
You had access to your medical records before the change and can now see less information
You have any other concerns

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 state that an individual has the ‘right to be forgotten’, which is sometimes called the ‘right to erasure’, however medical records are slightly different in that they hold special category data. The GP’s (or other clinician’s) opinion at the time will not alter, therefore we cannot remove information simply at the patient’s request.

In line with the General Medical Council’s (GMC) guidance, Doctors have an obligation to:

· Keep clear, accurate and legible records.

· Make records at the time the events happen, or as soon as possible afterwards.

Source: https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/good-medical-practice—english-20200128_pdf-51527435.pdf

The NHS constitution states that as a patient, “You have the right to have any factual inaccuracies in your health record corrected, however there are limited exceptions to this right, there is no obligation to amend something in a health record that is a professional opinion”, i.e. the GP’s opinion at the time.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supplements-to-the-nhs-constitution-for-england/the-handbook-to-the-nhs-constitution-for-england#patients-and-the-public-your-rights-and-the-nhs-pledges-to-you

This also applies to data that forms part of your medical record, for example letters and forms issued by other Healthcare organisations involved in your care that have supplied copies to us as your General Practice/registered GP. Data on your record is only to be used in relation to direct care purposes, and if considered to be used for anything else, it would need to have the relevant lawful basis and other data protection principles applied.

Should you request any corrections or redactions we will review your request and if we decide we are not able to comply we will inform you of this decision. We will also ensure we add details of your request to your record and the reasons why we have not been able to comply. Please make any such requests in writing via our website.

Understanding your Health Record

You can view some commonly used abbreviations here, which may help you understand your records.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/nhs-app-help-and-support/health-records-in-the-nhs-app/abbreviations-commonly-found-in-medical-records/

Whilst we will endeavour to respond to any queries about your records, please bear in mind that we must prioritise our workload and deal with patients that are unwell and need us. Please do not use appointments purely to request something is removed from or changed within your notes. As above, please contact us in writing, using the Contact Us Form on the website and we will liaise with the clinical team and respond within an appropriate time frame – as with most administrative requests this can be up to 28 days.