BMA branch opposes fast rollout of summary e-records
Tony Collins writes in Computer Weekly:
A branch of the British Medical Association has issued a statement supporting the concerns of doctors who are reluctant to allow patient records to be uploaded to a central database as part of the £12.7bn NHS IT scheme NPfIT.
The statement by the Leeds-based Northern Regional Council of the BMA could hamper the government’s attempts to speed up the national rollout, already under way, of Summary Care Records
The statement from the BMA’s Northern Regional Council is here.
The BMA nationally has also said that Patients are not being adequately informed about electronic patient records.
Meanwhile Leo King writes in Computer World UK:
This week, the Londonwide Local Medical Committees, which represents 6,000 GPs, is sending posters to local GP practices to show patients how to opt out, alongside patient fact sheets and easy opt-out forms. It said it was concerned that patients were only given 12 weeks to respond to an NHS information letter if they wanted to be exempted from the system.
The LMC information advises patients to opt out if they are unsure what to do, because a lack of action over 12 weeks leads to a record being permanently created. It said in a statement that concerns had “been expressed” that the short time frame was “far from ideal”.
The Big Opt Out web site provides a template letter for anyone wishing to opt out can send to their GP.
March 5th, 2010 at 09:27
In May 2009, I opted out in person to my GP, confirmed in writing. Despite that I have this week (3-Mar-2010) received a letter signed by the Chief Executive of my Primary Care Trust informing me that “We will assume that you are happy to have a summary care record and the process of creating a record for you will begin”.
It doesn’t look like they actually understand the idea of opting out..
March 5th, 2010 at 11:52
Graham – If you used TheBigOptOut letter to your GP, then only your GP knows that you’ve forbidden him/her to send our records to the Spine. The PCT doesn’t know, and won’t know until it attempts to get your records from the GP. This may be why the PCT seems to breezily assume that every recipient of its letter is happy to have an SCR unless you reply to them.
TheBigOptOut’s letter deliberately tells your GP to keep your opt-out decision private. This is because it seemed at one stage that the Chief Medical Officer wanted to write to everyone who opted out, trying to strong-arm them into changing their minds.
March 8th, 2010 at 10:53
The central registration system, Exeter, would not know if you had opted out already. The national read code applied to your record as a result of your decision to opt out will remain and you won’t have a SCR created. Perhaps the letter for some though is an opportunity to realise the actual data involved and to re consider a decision they may have made as a result of a mis leading newspaper article?
March 8th, 2010 at 10:58
Sandra – do you have any particular misleading newspaper article in mind?
March 8th, 2010 at 11:11
Guardian Nov 2006, Telegraph Sep 2008…. Incidentally this was when the majority of opt outs happened for a lot of the practices I am involved with. The Guardian in particular was a very “scare mongering” article which did not consider both the pros and cons of which admittedly there are numerous.
March 8th, 2010 at 16:17
Sandra, Are you in the employ of the NHS, or the Government? Why else could you consider the creation of an insecure database to be the answer to anyone’s needs? Except perhaps the needs of a control freak in central government who must know more so that he can control better?
My position? If my records leave my GP’s control, I opt out of the NHS.