Government publishes draft health and social care strategy to 'free up time and focus on patients'

A new draft strategy has been published by the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) to allow patients gain better access and greater control over their health and care data under new proposals.

The new strategy is part of the government’s ‘Data saves lives: reshaping health and social care with data’ published by NHSX builds and will build on giving health and care staff easier access to the right information to provide the best possible care through shared records and simplified information governance.

Under the proposals, patients will easily be able to access their test results, medication lists, procedures and care plans from across all parts of the health system through patient apps, such as the NHS App, by ensuring data is shared safely and more effectively across the system.

By improving their access to data, people will also be able to manage appointments, refill medications and speak with health and care staff when needed.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Data saves lives. More effective use of data will deliver better patient focused care. It will free up staff time to focus on patients and allow clinicians to make better, more informed decisions on treatment and support.

“The pandemic has taught us we must be bold and the great strides we have made on vaccines and treatments during this time have been made possible by the way we use data.

“This strategy seeks to put people in control of their own data, while supporting the NHS in creating a modernised system fit for the 21st century which puts patients and staff in pole position.

“So that health and care staff can access the right information when they need it, the strategy proposes a new duty to share anonymous data safely and appropriately across the entire health system."

New legislation will also be introduced to require all adult social care providers to provide information about all the services they fund to ensure service users have the best care and experience.

Mr Hancock added: "This could transform the care of the most vulnerable by ensuring staff have the information they need as soon as they need it, helping to provide the best possible care to the elderly.”

The strategy aims to break down data barriers and give patients confidence that health and care staff have up-to-date medical information, regardless of the care setting, enabling clinicians to make quicker, more informed decisions to deliver better treatment. Improving data collection and the way NHS systems work together will mean staff spend less time collecting and looking for information they need, so they can spend more time with those they are caring for to focus on looking after them.

Care England has backed the draft strategy and indicates data is the "key" to help improve the quality of life within the social care sector.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive, Care England said: “The role of data in social care is evolving at a very fast rate. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly apparent that reliable data from social care is a necessity to analyse the health and quality of life of the nation.

“The sector is starting to produce data at levels previously unimagined, and data is key to driving decisions which will help improve the quality of life of the people that we care for and support.”

The draft strategy proposes:

• putting patients at the heart of their health and care data, with easy access to their own healthcare records

• giving health and care staff easier access to the right information to provide the best possible care through shared records and simplified information governance

• enabling the proportionate sharing of data for the purpose of supporting the health and care system

• giving adult social care high quality, timely and transparent data so they can make individualised choices to personalise care

• modernising data architecture and infrastructure underpinning the health and care system to improve standards, protect data and stay ahead of cyber risk