Ensure patients receive copies of all inter-professional letters about their care

The Index has not yet recorded a verbatim government response to this recommendation.

The Thirlwall Inquiry has noted action taken in response to this recommendation.

This is implemented and reinforced though:

• The Professional Record Standard’s Body (PRSB) Outpatient Letter Standard (2023) and supporting guidance

• Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) guidance (2018), which requires letters should be written directly to patients, copying their GP (and provides a template) The AoMRC’s guidance is also reflected in NICE guidance on shared decision-making.

• The NHS Standard Contract, which states that outpatient letters should be consistent with PRSB’s standards.

• The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Order, which requires that private healthcare providers must send letters to patients prior to consultations or further tests and treatments setting out the costs, reasons and other relevant information regarding the procedure.

• The GMC updated its Good Medical Practice guidance to include communicating effectively with patients. This came into effect in January 2024.

In December 2021, the AoMRC, PRSB and NHS Employers wrote to their members to remind them of best practice when writing to patients, referring to AoMRC’s guidance.

The Government agreed with this recommendation. In its January 2002 response, the Department of Health said that a working group including patients, doctors, nurses, hospital records management staff and representatives of professional organisations was set up in July 2001 to produce guidelines on copying clinicians’ letters to patients and set out arrangements for parents to receive copies of letters, with the working group to produce its guidelines by summer 2002.

Good practice guidelines were published in April 2003, providing a general rule that, where patients agree, letters written by one health professional to another about a patient should be copied to the patient, or where appropriate a parent.