Press release on Patient Recod Sharing

Mike Hedges AM WELCOMES NEWS that GP record sharing to improve care in Wales

More hospital doctors and pharmacists now have electronic access to Welsh patients’ GP records, helping to improve patient safety by sharing information.  

Mike said…. ‘This is a welcome step forward to providing joined up health care. Modern IT Techniques should be available to all health professionals to improve the service provided to patients. I would urge people to take part in the scheme which will benefit all patients.’ 

The change means that from this month the NHS Wales Informatics Service will make a summary of key information from a patient’s GP record available electronically for planned patient care, including during outpatient appointments. Previously it was only available to pharmacists and doctors in emergency care settings such as A&E.

This vital information will now be available regardless of how patients come into hospital, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, improving the ability of health care professionals to provide safer care particularly in patient’s medicines management.

Strict controls are in place to ensure that patient information is safe and secure.  Every time a patient’s record is accessed via the secure database, an auditable log will be made. Patients will be asked by the health professional providing their care for permission to look at their record at each and every consultation. In addition, patients can if they wish opt out of the system entirely by speaking to their GP.