University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group
NHS / Health Body
Action Taken
• The Northamptonshire Care Record (NCR) is now available at NGH, providing clinicians with access to GP data including medications, allergies, diagnoses, and lists of GP consultations. • GP Connect is now available at NGH, providing structured data from GP records including medications and allergies. • Single sign-on integration from the clinical system (Nervecentre) into NCR is currently in final testing and expected to be available within weeks, removing the need for separate logins. (AI summary)
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Dear Mr Shah
2
Progress since November 2022
As a Hospital Group, we have made significant progress in improving clinicians' access to primary care information:
• Northamptonshire Care Record (NCR) This is now available at NGH, providing clinicians with access to GP data including medications, allergies, diagnoses, and lists of GP consultations. This has single sign-on integration from our clinical system (Nervecentre) into NCR and this element is currently in final testing and expected to be available within weeks, removing the need for separate logins.
• GP Connect This is now available at NGH, providing structured data from GP records including medications and allergies.
• Summary Care Record Was available at the time but only contained basic demographic and allergy information. All the information in the SCR has been moved into the NCR and it has been suprceeded by it.
These improvements mean that clinicians now have significantly better access to primary care information than was available in November 2022.
Limitations and the national context
We are working within the national boundaries of what is currently achievable in terms of being able to access general practitioner consultation notes and free text entries within primary care. We share the views of our clinicians that such access would benefit patient care, but there are currently significant national barriers to overcome before this is possible:
• The national roadmap Unfortunately, full GP free text consultation notes are not currently within the scope of national programmes for shared care records (including the National Record Locator and Shared Patient Record workstreams). The data currently shared comprises structured fields rather than narrative clinical entries.
• Information governance Direct read access to GP clinical systems (EMIS and SystmOne) has been explored previously in Northamptonshire. This requires individual data sharing agreements with each of the 66 GP practices in the county, plus consideration of practices across county boundaries whose patients attend our hospitals. Previous attempts to negotiate these agreements did not progress. Additionally, 20% of Northamptonshire patients are registered with practices using EMIS rather than SystmOne, and any solution would need to ensure equitable access for all patients.
3
In working within the above constraints, we are committed to maximising the information available to clinicians and our ongoing work includes:
• We aim to complete by the end of February 2026, single sign on integration from Nervecentre to the National Care Record (NCR), enabling seamless access;
• By the end of March 2026, we will raise the requirement for GP free text access with the National Record Locator and Shared Patient Record Programme Boards;
• We are continuing to work with Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board to explore options for enhanced data sharing within primary care;
• We are ensuring that Accident and Emergency Department attendance summaries and discharge notifications from NGH are shared with the NCR to improve information available in other care settings. We will review progress during June 2026;
We note that whilst digital solutions can significantly improve information availability, they cannot entirely replace clinical communication. The option for clinicians to contact a patient’s GP directly for information remains available and is standard practice where there are concerns about incomplete information. This is also the business continuity process when digital systems are unavailable, when a patient has opted out of data sharing or when a patient may be unable to communicate clearly.
I trust that the above information and progress to date demonstrates the substantial improvements to primary care information access since November 2022. I acknowledge that full GP consultation notes remain unavailable and that achieving this would require national actions on data standards and information governance frameworks. I can provide assurance that we will continue to advocate this through the appropriate national forums.
We remain committed to doing everything within our power to ensure clinicians have the information they need to deliver safe, effective care.
2
Progress since November 2022
As a Hospital Group, we have made significant progress in improving clinicians' access to primary care information:
• Northamptonshire Care Record (NCR) This is now available at NGH, providing clinicians with access to GP data including medications, allergies, diagnoses, and lists of GP consultations. This has single sign-on integration from our clinical system (Nervecentre) into NCR and this element is currently in final testing and expected to be available within weeks, removing the need for separate logins.
• GP Connect This is now available at NGH, providing structured data from GP records including medications and allergies.
• Summary Care Record Was available at the time but only contained basic demographic and allergy information. All the information in the SCR has been moved into the NCR and it has been suprceeded by it.
These improvements mean that clinicians now have significantly better access to primary care information than was available in November 2022.
Limitations and the national context
We are working within the national boundaries of what is currently achievable in terms of being able to access general practitioner consultation notes and free text entries within primary care. We share the views of our clinicians that such access would benefit patient care, but there are currently significant national barriers to overcome before this is possible:
• The national roadmap Unfortunately, full GP free text consultation notes are not currently within the scope of national programmes for shared care records (including the National Record Locator and Shared Patient Record workstreams). The data currently shared comprises structured fields rather than narrative clinical entries.
• Information governance Direct read access to GP clinical systems (EMIS and SystmOne) has been explored previously in Northamptonshire. This requires individual data sharing agreements with each of the 66 GP practices in the county, plus consideration of practices across county boundaries whose patients attend our hospitals. Previous attempts to negotiate these agreements did not progress. Additionally, 20% of Northamptonshire patients are registered with practices using EMIS rather than SystmOne, and any solution would need to ensure equitable access for all patients.
3
In working within the above constraints, we are committed to maximising the information available to clinicians and our ongoing work includes:
• We aim to complete by the end of February 2026, single sign on integration from Nervecentre to the National Care Record (NCR), enabling seamless access;
• By the end of March 2026, we will raise the requirement for GP free text access with the National Record Locator and Shared Patient Record Programme Boards;
• We are continuing to work with Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board to explore options for enhanced data sharing within primary care;
• We are ensuring that Accident and Emergency Department attendance summaries and discharge notifications from NGH are shared with the NCR to improve information available in other care settings. We will review progress during June 2026;
We note that whilst digital solutions can significantly improve information availability, they cannot entirely replace clinical communication. The option for clinicians to contact a patient’s GP directly for information remains available and is standard practice where there are concerns about incomplete information. This is also the business continuity process when digital systems are unavailable, when a patient has opted out of data sharing or when a patient may be unable to communicate clearly.
I trust that the above information and progress to date demonstrates the substantial improvements to primary care information access since November 2022. I acknowledge that full GP consultation notes remain unavailable and that achieving this would require national actions on data standards and information governance frameworks. I can provide assurance that we will continue to advocate this through the appropriate national forums.
We remain committed to doing everything within our power to ensure clinicians have the information they need to deliver safe, effective care.