Matthew Gould, Chief Executive Designate of the newly formed NHSX officially opened the new home of the Great North Care Record.
Set up over three years ago, the Great North Care Record is a new way of sharing patient information electronically across the North East and North Cumbria to improve treatment and save lives.
The system is currently viewed over 100,000 times a month and accessed by 100% of GPs in the region. It means that potentially life-saving key information on patients’ health – such as diagnoses, medication, hospital; admissions and treatments – can be shared securely to help patients receive the care they need more quickly.
In the future, information recorded in hospital systems will be transferred to GPs and other health and care organisations, and 3.6million patients living in the North East and North Cumbria will be able to set their own sharing preferences with healthcare planners, researchers and other organisations involved in their care.
Matthew Gould, NHX Chief Executive Designate, said “It’s been fascinating to see how the North East and North Cumbria is tackling the issues around sharing patient data, safely and securely. I have seen throughout my tour of the NHS frontline across the country the impact that lack of access to data has on patients and clinicians. The North East and North Cumbria has solved some of the challenges around sharing data and by putting patients in charge – really enables the benefits of data sharing to be realised.”
As part of a nationwide tour, Matthew Gould visited the Great North Care Record in a bid to understand more about the technological challenges facing North East and North Cumbria and how sharing patient data could support health and care in the region.
Professor Joe McDonald, Consultant Psychiatrist at Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and Director of the Great North Care Record, said: “It’s an honour to welcome Matthew to our new home and it’s very fitting that he should be the one to officially open our new offices at North East Futures UTC.”
“We’re pleased that Matthew has taken the time to visit and find out more about the challenges facing our region, and grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate what the Great North Care Record is all about. Digital transformation is integral to the future success of our NHS and it’s something that we believe passionately about.”
“By sharing patient information across GP, hospitals and other services at the point of need, medical professionals can see patient records immediately, allowing them to make quicker and better clinical decisions – saving them time, speeding up treatment and potentially saving lives.”
