NHS denies interruption to ebooking pilot

The National Programme for NHS IT (NPfIT) has denied reports that its electronic bookings pilot has been halted amidst doctors' concerns over confidentiality of patient data.

According to the Sunday Times, the Choose and Book (CaB) trial in Barnsley was stopped because any doctor logging into the system could access information on any patient.

The security systems for CaB should include software ensuring that only doctors with a 'legitimate relationship' to the patient can access medical data.

The NpfIT says the trial has not been halted at any time. A spokesman said: 'Confidentiality and security is of the highest importance. State-of-the-art controls are being used to ensure that only the clinician directly involved in giving a patient care will be able to see their records.'

Because the national patient records system has not yet been developed, there is no clinical information in the systems. Once the patient records system is live the legitimate relationship software built into that system will immediately control all access to medical information.

Clinicians accessing medical records will need the patient's NHS number or three separate pieces of information such as date of birth and postcode.