SCRs under review, says minister

Healthcare IT minister Simon Burns has told the British Medical Association (BMA) in a letter that the development of the central electronic patient record, a major feature of England's NHS National Programme for IT, is under review with a focus on ownership of the information. "We believe that the current processes that are in place need reviewing to ensure that both the information that patients receive, and the process by which they opt out, are as clear and simple as possible," Burns told the BMA. "Forefront in our minds is the need to ensure security of data contained in the record. Also, we see a need to review the content of the record and to agree with key stakeholders what should be added to the record and over what timescale," he added. "Using summary care records effectively depends on patients and doctors feeling an ownership of these records, rather than them being perceived as something imposed by a central arm of government. Reviewing how best to achieve this will be part of the wider project of reviewing how information and technology can best be leveraged within the health service." Burns wrote the letter, dated 10 June 2010, to Dr Hamish Meldrum, chair of the British Medical Association, and Dr Laurence Buckman, chair of its GP committee. The BMA's local medical committees conference was due to debate SCRs on 11 June, and its GP committee has been critical of the records.