NHS backtracks on deleting electronic medical records

Patients will be able to have their summary care records deleted

The NHS has performed a U-turn over patients’ right to request that their medical records be deleted from the Summary Care Records (SCR) system being created as part of the £12.7bn National Programme for IT.

Connecting for Health, the NHS agency responsible for delivering the vast IT overhaul, has announced that electronic medical records can now be deleted from the database after their creation, if requested by a patient.

The only caveat is that if the record has previously been accessed as part of treatment, it will only be archived rather than physically deleted, in case information is needed for legal purposes.

The Department of Health said the move came after consultation with the Information Commissioner over the privacy aspects of SCR, and follows trials of electronic records in Bolton and Bury.

"Our early adopter programme was set up precisely so we can learn from emerging issues such as this one,” said a spokesman.

"Our priority is to ensure that the information provided to patients is accurate. As soon as we realised that one of our early adopters had inadvertently suggested the Summary Care Record could be deleted, if a patient changed their mind, we took immediate steps to update the web site and information leaflet,” he said.

"Following discussions with the Information Commissioner we have now agreed that anyone can now request that their record is deleted. In the event that a record was accessed as part of someone’s healthcare, a record of that access needs to be kept in case there was a subsequent investigation of the performance of a clinician or a dispute about the facts – this is in the best interests of both patients and clinicians."

The NHS has gradually backtracked on its attitude to SCR deletion. The original plan was for a system whereby patients had to specifically request not to be included in the scheme. This was amended last year to allow patients an additional layer of control, so they can have their records on the system, but need to grant permission before NHS staff can access them.

Until the latest change, it would not have been possible to delete records once they had been created – meaning patients who signed up to the scheme could not subsequently change their minds.