Hospital able to see digital records of patients for first time

Monday 25 January 2021

Doctors and nurses will now be able to instantly access the latest GP records of any islander rushed into A&E.

That's just one of the impacts of a new agreement with GPs, which will allow clinicians at the General Hospital to see a patient’s medical record electronically for the first time.

The Jersey Summary Care Record, as it has been branded, contains summary patient information concerning medications and any allergies or reactions to medication in the past, as well as information relating to any medical-based decisions such as a patient’s advance directive detailing future wishes for their care.

Addressing privacy concerns, only registered and regulated healthcare professionals – such as doctors, nurses, paramedics, and pharmacists – will have access. Also, staff will have to ask a patient for permission to view their records – unless they can’t, in which case a decision will be made in their ‘best interest’ – and patients can also opt out if they choose.

Pictured: Healthcare staff in A&E will be able to quickly access a patient's full medical record following the agreement between Health and GPs.

GP Dr Bryony Perchard said: “Patients have often been surprised that the information in their summary medical record has not been readily available to Hospital departments, especially in urgent care settings and the hospital pharmacy.

“The advent of the Jersey Summary Care Record is a landmark agreement to break down barriers in the sharing of information between health providers to improve and provide safer care for our patients in a seamless and timely way.

“It has been a long process to ensure that patients’ data is secure, protected but shared in an appropriate way to safeguard their health, well-being and enable our secondary care colleagues to deliver safer and appropriate care at what is often very stressful times for patients."

Pictured: Consultant cardiologist Dr Andrew Mitchell

Dr Andrew Mitchell, Cardiologist and Chief Clinical Information Officer, added: “This is the next step in our vision to create an inter-connected digital health and care system for Jersey.

“In 2017, Digital Jersey, Health and Community Services, and the Primary Care Body launched the Digital Health Strategy, which outlined the vision for a digitally-enabled and connected health system.

“Its aim was to ensure that data is used routinely by care professionals, specialists and system leaders for intelligence-led insights which positively influence the decisions they take on a day-to-day basis, for example, to improve the safety of medicine administration.”