The King's Fund's response to the NHS Modernisation Bill and measures for a single patient record

Responding to the Second Reading of the NHS Modernisation Bill, Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund said:  

‘The introduction of a single patient record has the potential to make a substantial difference to patients’ experience of care. For too long, people have faced the frustration of repeating their story to different parts of the NHS and wider health and care system, while clinicians have often had to make decisions without access to the full picture of a patient’s history.

‘Better sharing of information across services could help deliver higher quality, safer and more joined-up care for patients, particularly for people living with multiple long-term conditions who are supported by different teams across hospitals, primary care, community and mental health services. With the right safeguards in place, patients and staff are supportive of this and can’t understand why it doesn’t already exist.

‘The government’s estimate that these reforms could reduce A&E attendances by 20,000 a year should be seen in context given there are around 28 million A&E attendances annually. However, every avoidable attendance matters for patients and staff, and this represents a step in the right direction if it helps people receive better support earlier and closer to home.

‘The bigger opportunity is not simply reducing pressure on hospitals, but creating a health and care system that feels more coordinated around patients’ needs. Done well, a single patient record could help reduce duplication, improve safety, save staff time and support more personalised care.

‘But technology alone will not transform care. Success will depend on implementation, public trust and ensuring robust safeguards are in place around privacy, consent and the use of patient data. It will also require investment in digital infrastructure, workforce capability and support for organisations to work together effectively across the NHS and social care.

‘The NHS Modernisation Bill will put on a legal footing the government's plan to embark on the largest reorganisation of the NHS in more than a decade. The wider reforms set out in the Bill, including bringing NHS England’s functions into the Department of Health and Social Care, are intended to simplify how the NHS is led nationally and reduce duplication. Structural changes can create opportunities for clearer accountability and more streamlined decision-making, but history shows that reorganisations on their own do not automatically improve care for patients. The key test will be whether these changes help national and local NHS leaders focus more consistently on improving access, quality of care and population health outcomes.’

Notes to editors     

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