Written question asked by Lord Mann (Labour) on Wednesday, 12 June 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 25 June 2002. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Tuesday, 25 June 2002 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to develop electronic referral and discharge letters. - Inc ref to 'Building the Information Core'.

Answer: John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to develop electronic referral and discharge letters. [62351] Ms Blears: The information management and technology target sand strategy for the national health survey are set out in "Building the Information Core" published in January 2001. Copies have been placed in the Library. The strategy includes specific targets for booked admissions, electronic record systems and provision of pathology and discharge summaries over the NHS net. The work to achieve these targets will provide the capability for relevant information about the purpose of the referral, and the results of treatment, to be transferred using structured electronic messages from general practitioner to hospital, hospital to hospital and hospital to social care systems.

Secondary information