Electronic Medical Notes

PoGee

These days if you go to hospital, the drs/ nurses type their notes electronically and are stored electronically also. Does anyone know if it's possible to view the electronic notes on an nhs computer, by going into the hospital? I would expect someone to be sitting in there with you, if it is possible. Anyone had experience of this?

elsien

 You would need to make a subject access request, the same as you do for any other medical record. No-one was going to let you go in and just sit and look at them with someone sitting next to you.

They need to check for GDPR and in some circumstances information can be rejected before it’s shown to the patient. 

There are still some paper base for the systems floating around as well.

For example on the hospital ward that I visit the blood test results and things like that come through electronically, but the nurses records and the records of the doctors ward rounds are still paper-based.

Probably varies a lot between area. For Example I know that the systems that my NHS physio uses have been hacked and they can’t access them properly so they are keeping everything on paper in the meantime.

MikeJXE

Yes there is and I do. You need the NHS app on phone, pc or Mac. You then need to ask/give permission for them to be added to your account. I can see all my notes, prescriptions, consultant notes and appointments, I order my repeat prescription on there and it's delivered to Pharmacy of my choice for me to collect. 

PoGee

elsien said:

 You would need to make a subject access request, the same as you do for any other medical record. No-one was going to let you go in and just sit and look at them with someone sitting next to you.

They need to check for GDPR and in some circumstances information can be rejected before it’s shown to the patient. 

There are still some paper base for the systems floating around as well.

For example on the hospital ward that I visit the blood test results and things like that come through electronically, but the nurses records and the records of the doctors ward rounds are still paper-based.

Probably varies a lot between area. For Example I know that the systems that my NHS physio uses have been hacked and they can’t access them properly so they are keeping everything on paper in the meantime.

Making a subject access request goes without saying, as does someone sitting next to you as you view them (part of my opening post). The question related to electronic notes and the access of them. A relative wanted to view his records but they said they would only print them off. That didn't sound right to me.

unforeseen

MikeJXE said:

Yes there is and I do. You need the NHS app on phone, pc or Mac. You then need to ask/give permission for them to be added to your account. I can see all my notes, prescriptions, consultant notes and appointments, I order my repeat prescription on there and it's delivered to Pharmacy of my choice for me to collect. 

You don't see all the notes in the NHS app. It tends to be only the stuff that the GP gets notified about. It clearly says GP Health Records.
You don't see the general notes that consultants etc make. 
Most of my cystoscopies & cancer treatments do not appear in my NHS app or my patient access app. 

marcia_

MikeJXE said:

Yes there is and I do. You need the NHS app on phone, pc or Mac. You then need to ask/give permission for them to be added to your account. I can see all my notes, prescriptions, consultant notes and appointments, I order my repeat prescription on there and it's delivered to Pharmacy of my choice for me to collect. 

 If you can see all that it must be specific to you or your surgery. 

 I use the app to order my medication and all that is in Health Records is my vaccinations and upcoming appointments 

Brie

Part of the problem will be that despite so much being under the NHS umbrella there isn't just one system in use.  So while you might get access to what a particular hospital has you may not get your GP practice or dentist or pharmacist's info as well.  This was obvious to us when we have been trying to get people to deal with MiL's last hospital stay and we were having to convey info between the different hospitals, her doctor, the pharmacy and the care home as none of them were linked up.

elsien

PoGee said:

elsien said:

 You would need to make a subject access request, the same as you do for any other medical record. No-one was going to let you go in and just sit and look at them with someone sitting next to you.

They need to check for GDPR and in some circumstances information can be rejected before it’s shown to the patient. 

There are still some paper base for the systems floating around as well.

For example on the hospital ward that I visit the blood test results and things like that come through electronically, but the nurses records and the records of the doctors ward rounds are still paper-based.

Probably varies a lot between area. For Example I know that the systems that my NHS physio uses have been hacked and they can’t access them properly so they are keeping everything on paper in the meantime.

Making a subject access request goes without saying, as does someone sitting next to you as you view them (part of my opening post). The question related to electronic notes and the access of them. A relative wanted to view his records but they said they would only print them off. That didn't sound right to me.

Possibly because they want to check them for GDPR purposes - part of my initial post. Plus staff probably don't be having time to be sitting with people while they plough through their records. Printing is quicker than waiting for someone to sit and read them. 

Floss

PoGee said:

These days if you go to hospital, the drs/ nurses type their notes electronically and are stored electronically also. Does anyone know if it's possible to view the electronic notes on an nhs computer, by going into the hospital? I would expect someone to be sitting in there with you, if it is possible. Anyone had experience of this?

It's quite unlikely, knowing the staffing levels in my specialist hospital, as has been pointed out. The NHS is under rather a lot of pressure right now.

kirtondm

Its far safer from a GDPR point of view to print it off and give it / email it to the patient. Letting someone onto an NHS linked computer would be quite a concern security wise.

I would never allow a patient to sit at my computer and look at their record.