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Electronic sharing of your patient records.

The Western isles health board is in the process of rolling out 2 large IT projects that have a direct impact on patients locally that I would like to draw your attention to.

Both involve sharing your medical records externally, so you need to be fully aware of how they work in order to make an informed decision about how your data is used.

The first project involves the sharing of partially anonymised data from your records with a number of analysts from public health based in Stornoway.  This would be used to help guide the board about disease prevalence / medicine and vaccine usage/ public health issues etc.

Your name and address will not be shared – but other identifiable information will be (your DOB and postcode for example).

There have been posters up in the practice regarding this over the past few weeks and there are leaflets available in the surgery with more detailed information about what is being shared, and why it is being requested.

The second project is called eMRec (electronic medical record).

Th eMRec would share significant parts of your GP records with the records held in the hospital / mental health and community services.

So, for example, if a health professional sees you in a hospital ward or outpatient clinic in the future  they would be able to look at up to date information on your history and medications from your GP’s systems that they can’t currently see.

Further information on this can be found on the health board website at http://www.wihb.scot.nhs.uk/your-universal-nhs-western-isles-health-record

Both of these projects are relying on what is called ‘implied consent’.  In other words the health board will assume that you are happy for them to share your information in this way unless you specifically ask otherwise.

The public health data sharing is going to happen within the next few weeks – with the eMRec time scale not being so clear.

If you are happy with the situation described above you don’t need to do anything else.

If you have concerns about your data security in any way then you need to formally opt out of one or both of these projects by phoning the practice and asking us to remove you from the lists.  You don’t need to speak to a doctor in order to do this – but you may do so if you feel you need more information.

We don’t run the projects however – if you need further information it may be better to ask any questions directly to the ‘Public health intelligence team’ at 01851 708055.