The government of the Isle of Man has announced the launch of a procurement for a single patient record to support services across hospitals, GPs, community, mental health, and social care.
The solution will be known as the Manx Care Record, it states, forming a “central component” of the island’s long-term health strategy, with hopes that it can help to improve patient safety and clinical productivity, as well as offering patients the opportunity to access their own health information.
A full business case is expected in early 2027, according to the government, with plans for a phased roll out to begin in early 2028.
“The Manx Care Record promises to have a transformative effect on our health and care infrastructure, providing a platform for safer and more joined-up services,” says health and social care minister Claire Christian. “This project aims to deliver a digital toolkit that is fit for the future, supporting innovation and enabling our healthcare system to meet the needs of our population for years to come.”
In a review of its work over the last five years, progress was highlighted on digital and system foundations including the completion of the care record specification and the advancement of digital remediation, with capital and revenue funding approved and systems “prepared for delivery as capacity becomes available”. Also noted were improvements to elective waiting list validation.
Teresa Cope, former Manx Care CEO, said: “We are now in a stronger position than when we started. We have established more robust governance, improved the quality and safety of our services, and brought health and social care closer together in a way that is beginning to make a real difference for patients…Our priority now is to build on the progress we have made, particularly by strengthening care in the community and reducing reliance on hospital-based services wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so.”
Wider trend: Single patient record
The DHSC has conducted an impact assessment designed to support proposed legislation for the Single Patient Record (SPR) contained in the recent Health Bill, and assess impact across nine protected characteristics including disability, sex, race, and sexual orientation. The record is designed to “significantly reduce” the admin burden on clinicians, it states, supporting better-informed decision-making and more coordinated care, including, in the future, adult social care. For patients and service users, it is intended to improve experience and care, with access to be offered through the NHS App by 2028 to full medical history, test results, appointment and test booking, medicines and vaccinations management, and support for long-term conditions.
The Health Bill second reading at the House of Commons has attracted a number of questions and comments from MPs around data privacy, modernisation, technology, health inequalities, and the Single Patient Record. Introducing the Bill, secretary of state for health and social care James Murray answered questions from those in attendance, highlighting ambitions “through local health watches across the country…to bring the voice of patients closer to the people who plan and deliver services”. The Bill is intended to modernise the NHS and reduce inequalities, Murray continued. “As a Labour Government, our priority is to boost investment and to modernise the NHS for the future. It is exactly that combination of investment and reform that will deliver the health service that constituents need and deserve.”
A report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has focused on the single patient record, with recommendations for end of life care as an initial use case. Ombudsman Paula Sussex says: “Nowhere is strong communication more important than in the provision of end of life care. When systems and teams communicate well, patients are more likely to receive the right care at the right time and clinicians are better equipped to navigate the complexities of moving between different care settings. When patients and families are given clear explanations, and when crucial conversations happen early and with sensitivity, they feel supported and better equipped to face the next steps, however difficult they may be.” Based on experiences of families and clinicians, Sussex makes recommendations across three areas: confident, skilled, and compassionate communication with patients and families at the right time; clear outcome measurement including patient and family voices; and effective information sharing between teams and care settings.
