Concerns over New NHS Records Systems See Patients Turning To Private Health Care

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Concerns over New NHS Records Systems See Patients Turning To Private Health Care

Posted On : Jul-21-2010 | seen (668) times | Article Word Count : 539 |

Key aspects of the recent million pound attempt to upgrade the NHS information technology systems have been criticised as being ineffective and unsecure.

Key aspects of the recent million pound attempt to upgrade the NHS information technology systems have been criticised as being ineffective and unsecure. The Commons Public’s Accounts Committee recently labelled the new care records system as ‘disappointing’. This new system was supposed to upgrade the way in which patients records were stored and accessed by healthcare professionals. This new system was supposed to link together the thousands of GP surgeries and hospitals across the country and provide NHS staff with quick and easy access to thousands of patient records. This includes sensitive data such as healthcare at every stage from initial diagnosis through to treatment and final discharge.

Delays in Deployment

The new care records system was supposed to be in place by 2010, however the sheer scale of the operation has seen the completion date put back to 2014/5 and ministers say even this revised date may be optimistic. By the end of 2009 hospitals in the North of England and the Midlands were supposed to have started using the initial Lorenzo version of this new software. However this deadline was missed and as yet no hospitals have been able to access the system fully. The Commons Public’s Accounts Committee has raised serious concerns as to whether “….Lorenzo can be deployed in a reasonable timescale”.

The new care records system faced another set back when the alternative Millennium version of the software (targeted for the South of England) was left in doubt after the government decided to end the contract set up with provider Fujitsu.

Access for All

Although patients were offered a choice to ‘sign up ‘ for this new care records system many felt concerned over the security of their private health information. Under the new scheme access is being made more available to all NHS staff regarding patient’s medical histories. This means that not only can doctors and nurses access records but also dentists, physiotherapist and all kinds of additional NHS staff.

Patients and MPs are demanding to know just what measures are being put in place to deter NHS staff from accessing confidential patient data and misusing it. As yet security and data handling guidelines have remained vague and there are grave concerns over whether or not the NHS can provide sufficient data security and confidentiality with this new system.

Concerns have also been raised by healthcare professionals and this has seen doctors in London launching an advertising campaign which aims to highlight how patients can opt out of this new system. Doctors and privacy campaigners do understand the need for a system that is provides quick access to patient information to streamline healthcare. However opponents of the new care records system believe it has simply not been thought out properly in terms of security and confidential data handling.

Private Healthcare

Many patients do not want this level of access made available to their private records and this has seen them opting out of the new care records system. Further concerns about the security of this new records system has also seen many patients turning to private sector healthcare, which has a better reputation for guaranteeing customer data security.

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<h1>Concerns over New NHS Records Systems See Patients Turning To Private Health Care</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Gareth Hoyle.aspx'>Gareth Hoyle</a> Key aspects of the recent million pound attempt to upgrade the NHS information technology systems have been criticised as being ineffective and unsecure. The Commons Public’s Accounts Committee recently labelled the new care records system as ‘disappointing’. This new system was supposed to upgrade the way in which patients records were stored and accessed by healthcare professionals. This new system was supposed to link together the thousands of GP surgeries and hospitals across the country and provide NHS staff with quick and easy access to thousands of patient records. This includes sensitive data such as healthcare at every stage from initial diagnosis through to treatment and final discharge.

Delays in Deployment

The new care records system was supposed to be in place by 2010, however the sheer scale of the operation has seen the completion date put back to 2014/5 and ministers say even this revised date may be optimistic. By the end of 2009 hospitals in the North of England and the Midlands were supposed to have started using the initial Lorenzo version of this new software. However this deadline was missed and as yet no hospitals have been able to access the system fully. The Commons Public’s Accounts Committee has raised serious concerns as to whether “….Lorenzo can be deployed in a reasonable timescale”.

The new care records system faced another set back when the alternative Millennium version of the software (targeted for the South of England) was left in doubt after the government decided to end the contract set up with provider Fujitsu.

Access for All

Although patients were offered a choice to ‘sign up ‘ for this new care records system many felt concerned over the security of their private health information. Under the new scheme access is being made more available to all NHS staff regarding patient’s medical histories. This means that not only can doctors and nurses access records but also dentists, physiotherapist and all kinds of additional NHS staff.

Patients and MPs are demanding to know just what measures are being put in place to deter NHS staff from accessing confidential patient data and misusing it. As yet security and data handling guidelines have remained vague and there are grave concerns over whether or not the NHS can provide sufficient data security and confidentiality with this new system.

Concerns have also been raised by healthcare professionals and this has seen doctors in London launching an advertising campaign which aims to highlight how patients can opt out of this new system. Doctors and privacy campaigners do understand the need for a system that is provides quick access to patient information to streamline healthcare. However opponents of the new care records system believe it has simply not been thought out properly in terms of security and confidential data handling.

Private Healthcare

Many patients do not want this level of access made available to their private records and this has seen them opting out of the new care records system. Further concerns about the security of this new records system has also seen many patients turning to private sector healthcare, which has a better reputation for guaranteeing customer data security.About the Author: If the NHS cannot resolve the serious issue facing the new care records system then thousands of patients could turn to <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.privatemedicalinsuranceuk.co.uk/"> private medical insurance in the UK </a> to ensure that their data remains in secure hands. Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Concerns-over-New-NHS-Records-Systems-See-Patients-Turning-To-Private-Health-Care_26390.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Concerns over New NHS Records Systems See Patients Turning To Private Health Care_26390.aspx</a>

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Concerns over New NHS Records Systems See Patients Turning To Private Health Care_26390.aspx

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If the NHS cannot resolve the serious issue facing the new care records system then thousands of patients could turn to private medical insurance in the UK to ensure that their data remains in secure hands.

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