ONLINE ACCESS TO YOUR GP MEDICAL RECORDS FROM 31st October 2023

The NHS wants to give people better ways to see their personal health information online. We know that some people want to be able to access their health records. It allows you to book appointments, order medication, view your consultations and can help you see test results faster.

We're now letting you see all the information within your health record. If you are over 16 and have an online account, such as through the NHS App, NHS website, or other GP online services and apps, you will now automatically be able to see all future information entered on your medical record from 31st October 2023. Some people can already access these full features, this won't change for you.

This means that you will be able to see records from your appointments, as well as test results and any letters that are saved on your records. This only applies to records from your doctor (GP), not from hospitals or other specialists, although you will be able to see any letters that hospitals or specialists send to your doctor (GP). You will only be able to see information from 31st October 2023 onwards. For most people, access will be automatic, and you won't need to do anything.

Your doctor (GP) may talk to you to discuss test results before you are able to see some of your information on the app/on line. Your doctor (GP) may also talk to you before you are given full record access to make sure that having access is of benefit to you.

These changes only apply to people with online accounts. If you do not want an online account, you can still access your GP health record for specific information by requesting this information via our Healthcare Administration Team.

The changes also only apply to personal information about you. If you are a carer and would like to see information about someone you care for, speak to Healthcare Administration Team for proxy access.

The NHS App, website and other online services are all very secure. You'll need to make sure you protect your login details. Do not share your password with anyone as they will then have access to your personal information.

Downloading the NHS App is the easiest way to get on line access

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/

Alternatively to access your records via the SystmOne on-line portal, click here. 

You'll need to register for the portal in the surgery so that we can verify your identity and provide you with a secure password. Please speak to the Healthcare Administration Team.

If you wish to have on line access for historic information in your medical records entered before 31st October 2023 you are still required to request this via our Healthcare Administration team at the Practice.

You can also read more about accessing records (please note it refers to Nov 2022 but the go live was nationally delayed until now Nov 2023) https://www.nhs.uk/.../how-to-get-your-medical-records.

Increasingly, patient medical data is shared e.g. between GP surgeries and District Nursing, hospital and other secondary care providers in order to give clinicians access to the most up to date patient information.

The systems we operate require that any sharing of medical information is consented to by patients beforehand. Patients must consent to sharing of the data held by a health provider out to other health providers and must also consent to which of the other providers can access their data.

e.g. it may be necessary to share data held in GP practices with district nurses but the local podiatry department would not need to see it to undertake their work. In this case, patients would allow the surgery to share their data, they would allow the district nurses to access it but they would not allow access by the podiatry department. In this way access to patient data is under patients' control and can be shared on a 'need to know' basis.