Electronic Patient Records

Statement of Intent for Attleborough Surgeries

It is a contractual requirement that GP practices should make available a statement of intent in relation to certain IT developments.
Please see the practice stances for the following developments:

GP2GP Record Transfers

NHS England requires practices to utilise the GP2GP facility for the transfer of patient records between practices, when a patient registers or de-registers (not for temporary registration).

It is very important that you are registered with a doctor at all times. If you leave your GP and register with a new GP, your medical records will be removed from your previous doctor and forwarded on to your new GP via NHS England. It can take your paper records up to two weeks to reach your new surgery.

With GP to GP record transfers, your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.

Attleborough Surgeries can confirm that GP to GP transfers are already active and we send and receive patient records via this system.

Patient Online Access to their GP Record

NHS England requires practices to promote and offer the facility to enable patients online access to appointments, prescriptions, allergies and adverse reactions.

You can also request online access to your medical records where appropriate and subject to the application of national safeguards. This facility is in place.

Requesting access to your detailed coded record will follow the best practice requirements detailed in the Health Records Act. All requests must be made in writing and ID verification will be required; this will be asked for even if previously provided when registering for online access. This is because your detailed coded record is extremely important and we must ensure that we have your confirmed identify for the purpose of releasing this data. All requests will be processed by the practice within 30 days. It should be noted that only coded clinical activity will be available to view, which is a representation of your clinical record.

We currently offer the facility for booking and cancelling appointments, and also for ordering your repeat prescriptions online.

Data for Commissioning, Planning and Research

Your Data Matters to the NHS

The NHS is committed to keeping patients information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

GP practices are no longer able to record a patients wish to opt out of the ‘Your Data Matters to the NHS’ programme. However, you can still choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research and planning. To find out more about this programme and to set a national data opt out using the online service, please visit the NHS website. You can also manage a choice on behalf of another individual by proxy. For example, if you are a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 13.

If you are unable to use the online service or require assistance on making your decision, you can telephone the helpline on 0300 303 5678. The telephone service is available 09:00-17:00, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.

It is important that you are aware that the national opt out does not prevent data being uploaded to the Summary Care Record (SCR) as the national data opt out only covers purposes beyond individual care and treatment. If a patient chooses to opt out of having a SCR, they must ask their GP practice to specifically record this decision.