A new computer system enabling health care staff to access patients’ medical records out of surgery hours has gone live in Pembrokeshire.

Patients from the biggest GP practice in Wales — Argyle Street in Pembroke Dock — are among the first to benefit from the Individual Health Record service. The service went live on December 30th and links the 27,000 patients registered with the Argyle Medical Group to the Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion out-of-hours doctor service.

The Individual Health Record allows the out-of-hours doctors and nurses to see important information about the patient’s medical history, with their consent.

Dr Iain Robertson-Steel, associate medical director (unscheduled care) at Hywel Dda Health Board, said: “We are pleased that this solution, which significantly improves patient safety, is now coming into use within the out-of-hours service. Although it’s not yet available across the whole health community, it will be a significant asset.

“The next steps are to make the service available to all GP practices in west Wales.”

The service helps medical and nursing staff make informed decisions based on knowledge of the patient’s medical history, improving the safety and quality of care.

Dr Robertson-Steel added: “The Individual Health Record service makes sure every patient receives the best treatment when they seek urgent or emergency care.

“This new system provides the on-call doctor with the information needed to make better and safer decisions. Without the Individual Health Record, on-call doctors and nurses only know what the patient tells them, and sometimes when a patient is unwell or anxious, it’s easy for them to forget important information about their general health or medication.”

Leaflets and posters explaining how the Individual Health Record works are available at GP practices taking part and online at www.wales.nhs.

uk/ihc.

This builds on a patient awareness campaign initiated 12 months ago.

Patients have the choice to opt out of this service if they wish. In addition, on each occasion when a patient contacts the out-of-hours service the doctor or nurse they speak to has to ask the patient’s consent before they view their record.

Dr Robertson-Steel said: “We are very pleased to see the launch of this pilot phase of the Individual Health Record in Hywel Dda. It demonstrates how technology can bring improvements to the real world of clinical practice.

“We have worked closely with the Hywel Dda Health Board, the BMA, clinicians, Community Health Councils and patients, to ensure successful delivery of this important project.”