Further Information

Case for Change

Leaders of Health and Social care services in Kent and Medway have published the following document describing the case for changing our health and social care services.

Kent Medway Case for Change summary

Potential Conflicts of Interest

As you are probably aware the NHS is changing and GP's and Patients are being encouraged to work together to redesign services and pathways to allow more cost effective care, closer to home.

This brief note is to ensure you are clear that his has produced a potential conflict of interest where clinical staff sometimes needs to take on the role of both referrer and provider. As a result they have a commercial interest in the provision of such services; this also includes Newton Place Pharmacy.

Patients should be aware that all consultation and referrals discussions around choice of providers. Any financial interest there may be in an organisation providing healthcare will not influence the way our GPs prescribe, treat or refer.

The practice keeps a register, recording a declaration of any financial interests in provider organisations and services. This register is available for inspection by the general public. Please contact the management team either in person at the surgery or by emailing us using our secure online form

Better Information for Better Care

Your local GPs are making changes to improve your care by making it possible for other clinicians, who are treating you, to view parts of your GP clinical record.

These clinicians will only be allowed to access your GP record if you agree they can.

Why would my GP record be shared with clinicians?

Your GP practice has the most complete, and up-to-date record of your health and any treatment you are receiving in relation to all aspects of your care.

By sharing this information it will:

Improve the quality of care you receive – clinicians involved in your care will get a ‘fuller picture’ of your health history.
Improve the safety of your care – up to date information, for example what medication you are taking, may influence other courses of treatment.
Act as a prompt to make it easier for you to talk about (and remember) your medical history – clinicians will be able to help jog your memory
Reduce the number of times you have to tell your history
Ensure patient wishes are followed in relation to end of life care (where appropriate).

Will all sections of my GP record be shared?

No. Not all information from your GP record will be available for other clinicians to view.

Information about sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, fertility and embryology treatment, surgical or medical terminations of pregnancy, and gender reassignment will not be available to view by others.

Who will have access to my GP record?

Clinicians from East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (for example, consultants, other doctors, nurses and pharmacists) who are involved in your care will be able to see your record, if you give permission.

In the event of an emergency (or if you are incapacitated) and you cannot give explicit permission, the clinician may view your GP patient record if they believe it will help with your diagnosis and treatment.

It is also intended that clinicians treating you from other providers including paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance Service, district nurses from Kent Community Healthcare Trust and providers of palliative care in hospices will have access to your records by the end of 2014.

How will they access my GP record? Is it secure?

Clinicians will be able to view your GP record through a Patient Information Platform (PIP). This is a secure online system which provides information in real-time. Clinicians will not be able to amend or remove information from your GP record.

Many health organisations, such as NHS Wales and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, already successfully use a PIP to improve patient data sharing between GPs and hospitals.

All clinicians in the NHS have a legal duty to maintain the highest level of confidentiality. Any clinician who views a patient GP record is under a duty of confidence, which is written into contracts of employment.

I thought hospitals already had access to my records. How is this different?

Hospitals already have access to their own records about you – but each department will have a separate record. Your GP record gives a more detailed picture of your care.

They also have access to patient information through the Summary Care Record (SCR), which covers allergies, medication and previous reactions to treatment. The GP information will enhance and complement the information in the SCR.

I don’t want clinicians to have access to my GP record. What should I do?

If you do not want other clinicians to view your GP record, please tell them during your discussions with them. Then, the next time you attend your GP practice, please ask the receptionist to take a note of your details and your wishes to not be part of the PIP.

Note: If you have already informed your GP that you do not wish your records to be uploaded to the Summary Care Record there will be an entry made in your medical notes recording your wish. This entry will also prevent your records from being viewed by the local clinicians in the hospital via the PIP

Is this linked to the national Care.data project?

No. Our GP record project is a local initiative aimed at improving the way your medical information can be shared between GPs and other clinicians. No information leaves your records – it is just viewed by clinicians involved in your care.