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Medical Records: Databases

Original answer

Effective sharing of patient information between organisations as part of a person’s direct care has enormous potential to improve patient care, services and treatments and can only be done effectively if patients are given a say over how their personal information is used.

The sharing of patient information, whilst protecting confidentiality, ensures the highest standards of care and clinical safety are consistently met throughout the National Health Service and where standards drop, allowing prompt action to be taken. It also helps to understand what happens to people, especially those with long term conditions, who are cared for away from hospital, and to ensure their needs are met and provides vital information needed to assist and support research into new medicines, and the better treatment of disease.

The answer was corrected by Dan Poulter (Conservative)

on Friday, 17 October 2014 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Corrected answer

Effective sharing of patient information between organisations as part of a person’s direct care has enormous potential to improve patient care, services and treatments and can only be done effectively if patients are given a say over how their personal information is used.

The sharing of patient information, whilst protecting confidentiality, ensures the highest standards of care and clinical safety are consistently met throughout the National Health Service and where standards drop, allowing prompt action to be taken. It also helps to understand what happens to people, especially those with long term conditions, who are cared for away from hospital, and to ensure their needs are met and provides vital information needed to assist and support research into new medicines, and the better treatment of disease.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

209873

Session

2014-15

Subjects

Databases Medical records

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk