What general practice staff should know

There are a number of resources available to support preparing for the change including a GP readiness checklist available to general practice staff, which includes a list of essential actions to undertake prior to launching prospective record access

Guidance and support

General practice readiness checklist

Actions for general practices to ensure their clinical system is updated to allow prospective (future) record access to patients.

Read the actions

Switching on access at your practice

Learn about the process for updating your systems to enable automatic online record access and the benefits of switching on access over the summer months

Learn more

Films to support staff with providing record access to patients

Films to support clinicians and GP practice administrative staff with these changes.

Learn more

Safeguarding concerns and patient record access

While enabling patients to view their medical records through the NHS App will be beneficial to the majority of patients, there may be challenges for a minority.

Safeguarding resources

Benefits of citizen access to records

Highlights of evidence demonstrating how online access to health information benefits patients and practice staff.

Learn more about the benefits

Patient communications for practices

Find resources to promote the NHS App access to GP health records in your surgery.

Open the resources

Patients whose GP practices use the TPP or EMIS system will see new entries in their GP record.
We are giving patients with an online account access to their future, or prospective, full GP health record including free text, letters and documents.
Be aware and mindful that patients will be able to see new records after the change.
Know how to manage this as a change to your workflow. Ensure sensitive information is redacted (make invisible from patient view) as it is entered onto the clinical system, or in rare circumstances know when it may be inappropriate to give a patient access to their record.
Patients will see new information once it is entered, or filed, onto their record in the clinical system.
This change will not give new access to historic, or past, health record information unless this is individually authorised by their GP practice.
Patients will not have access to view administrative tasks or communications between practice staff.

Further information

Films to support staff with providing record access to patients

Materials to support clinicians and GP practice administrative staff with these changes.

Learning from early adopter sites

Information on this page is published to provide good practice examples and learning from the early adopter sites.

NHS App guidance for GP practices

What GP practices need to know about the NHS App.

Why these changes are being made

Patients with online accounts such as through the NHS App will be able to read new entries, including free text, in their health record.

Last edited: 25 March 2024 8:22 am