Overview

The Electronic Patient Records (Continuity of Care) Bill aims to give patients ownership and access to their electronic health records, requiring healthcare professionals to maintain and share this data as part of individual care plans. The bill establishes key principles for patient data management and empowers patients to control the use of their information.

Description

This bill establishes three core principles: Ownership (patients own their medical data), Control (patients can access and control its use), and Maintenance (healthcare professionals must maintain comprehensive, lifelong patient records). The Secretary of State will create regulations ("Patient Data Regulations") to implement these principles. These regulations will guarantee patient access to their data free of charge, mandate a single, lifelong identifying code for each patient, and ensure healthcare professionals consider these principles in their work. The regulations will also allow for the creation of a single, consolidated health record for each patient. The bill applies only to England and Wales.

Government Spending

The bill does not specify direct government spending figures. However, implementing the regulations will likely involve costs associated with developing and maintaining a national electronic patient record system, including IT infrastructure and staff training. Further costs may be associated with enforcement and dispute resolution mechanisms.

Groups Affected

• Patients: Gain ownership and control over their health data, improving access to information and facilitating informed decisions about their care.
• Healthcare Professionals: Required to maintain comprehensive records, share data appropriately, and adhere to the new data principles. This may necessitate changes in working practices and IT systems.
• Hospitals and Healthcare Providers: Must provide free access to patient data and comply with the new data management regulations.
• Researchers: May benefit from easier access to data for research purposes, subject to patient consent.

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