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Full medical records, tests results and letters from doctors will all be available in the NHS App under plans for a digital revolution in the health service in England.<\/p>\n
Ministers hope the changes – part of new 10-year strategy for the NHS in England – will overhaul the way patients interact with the health service in the same way apps have changed the way we bank.<\/p>\n
Currently the NHS App is limited because patients records are held locally by a patient’s GP and any hospitals they visit – and not all parts of the health service interact with the app.<\/p>\n
But the government said it was pushing ahead with plans to create a single patient record.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Campaigners have raised concerns about data protection, but ministers say they are \u201cabsolutely committed\u201d to protecting confidential medical information.<\/p>\n
It comes as the government launches a new “national conversation” to inform the 10-year plan, which is due to be published in the spring.<\/p>\n
One of the key themes of the plan will be moving from “analogue to digital” \u2013 and the single patient records will be a core part of that.<\/p>\n
The government said it would speed up patient care, reduce repeat tests and medical errors.<\/p>\n
Last year, a contract was awarded to the firm Palantir to create a database joining up individual records kept by local services.<\/p>\n
It will allow patients and those treating them to access the information about their health.<\/p>\n
Campaign group MedConfidential has warned having a single record like this will be “open to abuse”.<\/p>\n
But Care Minister Stephen Kinnock defended the move, saying the government was “absolutely committed” to protecting patient data. <\/p>\n
He said safeguards providing a “cast iron guarantee” on security would be set out in a new bill that will be put before Parliament to push ahead with the move.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The 10-year plan will also focus on moving care out of hospitals and into the community.<\/p>\n
The government said local neighbourhood health centres, where patients can access GP, district nursing, physios and testing all under one roof, will form part of this.<\/p>\n
But it said it wanted to hear from the public about their own ideas for change as part of the national conversation.<\/p>\n
The public engagement exercise begins on Monday, with the launch of website change.nhs.uk.<\/p>\n
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: \u201cThe NHS is going through the worst crisis in its history but, while the NHS is broken, it’s not beaten. Together we can fix it.<\/p>\n
“Whether you use the NHS or work in it, you see first hand what\u2019s great but also what isn\u2019t working. We need your ideas to help turn the NHS around.”<\/p>\n
Patients Association chief executive Rachel Power said she \u201cwarmly welcomes\u201d the initiative.<\/p>\n
She said: “For far too long, many patients have felt their voices weren\u2019t fully heard in shaping the health service.<\/p>\n
“This national conversation marks a significant step towards genuine patient partnership and puts patients at the heat of the NHS’s evolution.”<\/p>\n
RCN general secretary Prof Nicola Ranger said it was vital NHS staff got involved too.<\/p>\n
But she said any future plans would need “new investment”.<\/p>\n
Next week the government is expected to set out extra funding for this winter and next year when Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her Budget.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n