The challenge
The implementation of Prospective Record Access at Herrington Medical Centre, Sunderland, has been a resounding success by fostering patient empowerment, reducing administrative workload, and enhancing trust between practice and patient.
The practice, through their own initiative, have demonstrated why and how Prospective Record Access can be a valuable provision of service to provide to patients, which has realised benefits to the GP practice and its workforce, as well their patients.
Practice Manager Sarah Murphy was asked several questions by Alex Mills, Project Manager – NECS, to evidence the impact on how Herrington Medical Centre achieved their success, the challenges and how they overcame them, in addition to advice for local GP’s with adopting Prospective Record Access in practice.
Q & A
What are the most significant benefits you’ve observed for patients who have access to their prospective records? How has it impacted their ability to manage their health?
‘Patients can view their blood results without having to phone up and wait in the queue, they can order medication and check when the medication has been prescribed and sent to the pharmacy. Patients are also able to go back and look at their consultation and go through the advice given to them by the clinician.’
What were the biggest challenges your practice faced when implementing Prospective Record Access, particularly regarding Clinical System Configuration, staff training (redaction and safeguarding etc), and patient education?
‘I believe the biggest challenge would be the redacting any safeguarding etc, and the fear that patients would see something in their records that they were not aware of or that upset them.’
Has offering Prospective Record Access increased or decreased the administrative workload for your team? How do you manage requests for amendments or questions arising from the records?
‘I don’t think we have seen an increase after the initial work was completed, if a patient does not agree with something that is in their records we can code to say that the patient does not agree but it stays in their records still.’
How does the practice address concerns related to data security and ensuring that patients’ sensitive information is protected when providing this access?
‘Records are checked to ensure that patients do not have access to any records that may cause them distress, when a patient is given online access, they have to present with ID so we can confirm they are the patient, the form they sign states that they are responsible for not sharing their passwords.’
Have you noticed any changes in the dynamics of doctor-patient relationships due to Prospective Record Access? For example, do patients seem more informed or engaged during consultations?
‘Not a huge change but as mentioned earlier, patients now have access to view their consultations which helps with understanding without needing to contact the practice again.’
How does the practice ensure they maintain having the 104-SNOMED code applied to less than 10% of the registered population?
‘By checking records and allowing access to all patients who have online access, this means records are checked and patients who do not have safeguarding concerns are granted access.’
How does the practice ensure they maintain having greater than 90% of online patient accounts with Prospective Record Access?
‘All newly registered patients are granted access on registration for prospective access, meaning from the day they register with the practice they are able to view their records.’
Outcomes
As a result of Herrington Medical Centre’s success with providing patients with Prospective Record Access, the practice is fully compliant with the service per NHS England’s contractual measures for compliancy.
As of November 2024, the practices Prospective Record Access compliancy figures were:
Step 1 – Clinical System enabled for Prospective Record Access – Yes
Step 2 – Less than 10% of patients withheld access due to enhanced review (104 Code) – 3.36%
Step 3 – Prospective Record Access enabled for New NHS App users by default – Yes
Step 4 – Greater than 90% of patient online accounts provided with Prospective Record Access – 94.70%
The practice has realised a couple of benefits for their workforce and their patients;
- Improved patient experience as patients will be able to access their health record online at a time convenient to them.
- Improved practice efficiency by streamlining work process’ to adapt access to patient records to include the digital electronic patient record.
In addition, the practice has also supported achieving a Primary Care Access Recovery Plan programme benefit by helping to reduce the number of practices who are not NHSE compliant with Prospective Records Access.