Bradford patients get chance to register for access to their notes (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford patients get chance to register for access to their notes

2:13pm Tuesday 9th February 2010 in

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A project to transfer confidential health records to a new system to which medics across the country have electronic access is being rolled out to more patients.

Letters have gone out to the 93,000 patients of the next wave of 11 GP practices in the district informing them they will have a summary care record created for them this spring.

It means around 200,000 patients in the district will have a summary care record by April, containing information about health, such as allergies and current prescriptions and means any authorised NHS doctor or nurse can view information about a patient at the click of a mouse.

The aim is to improve safety and quality of patient care by giving healthcare staff faster, easier access to reliable patient information.

So far the response from the public has been positive with just 0.4 per cent of patients opting out of the system, below the national average of 0.6 per cent.

Patients can view their own records through a secure website, HealthSpace, and 443 people in the district have so far set up a basic account and 69 have set up an advanced account.

Simon Watson, senior project manager for Care Records at NHS Bradford and Airedale, said: “Anyone can register for a basic HealthSpace account at healthspace.nhs.uk.

“However, to be able to see their summary care record, patients will need to register for an advanced account and to do this they will have to visit a practice that has registration facilities to allow them to create an advanced HealthSpace account.

"The reason for this is patients need to provide three forms of identification and be provided with a key coded access card to make sure their record is secure.

“There are two practices offering registration in Bradford with a further practice in Keighley starting in March. People keen to register can go to any of the practices at their convenience. There is no urgency in doing this.

”Current practices with registration facilities are The Ridge Medical Practice, Great Horton Surgery, Cousen Road, Bradford BD7 3TX, The Willows Medical Centre, Osbourben Drive, Queensbury, Bradford, BD13 2GD, and Holycroft Surgery, Oakworth Road, Keighley, will start to be able to register patients at the start of March .