please empty your brain below

Given that the BMA want a halt called on proceedings, I am going to pass on this one.

The Register has some worrying comments.

ThisGov+I.T.= FAIL is usually the case.

That website name deserves an award.

You say "Paper records may not be efficient, but at least they can't be lost, stolen or compromised electronically". I'd disagree - paper records can (and frequently are) lost and can (and sometimes are) stolen. But, most of the time, they are neither lost nor stolen. Nor are they compromised. But my confidence in NHS systems, paper or electronic, remains low.

There seems to be a couple of words missing from the last paragraph, you may have a keyboard like mine!

The lo-tech solution is a printed card in your wallet saying "I am...My next of kin is...I have ...I'm on...Don't give me..." The ambulance men can access this on the way to hospital, without any fancy IT gizmo, and this also works if you are unconscious and people can't ask you your name. I don't trust all this smartcard security malarky - I know personally of at least two instances where someone allowed someone else to access data using their card. There are also plans to let pharmacists have access to a subset of your data to be able to check and issue prescriptions, so "creep" is setting in already. Whilst paper records aren't ideal, they can't be hacked into remotely. Opt out! I already have - as soon as I heard about this idiotic system.

Given that I don't go to my doctor there's nothing in my medical history I need to worry about :)

Isn't this what MedicAlert is for?

Don't do it! You *know* they'll make a complete balls-up of it!
I like Nails UK's low-tech option! :)

My flat used to be a GP's surgery. We still get about a dozen letters a week for the doctors, including updates on medical records from patients who've presented themselves to hospital - this despite four years of returning to sender and writing to Data Protection officers.
SCRs would at least see much of this go electronic, and prevent records being misdelivered - but I wonder if we'd also be able to apply for access to view the online records on behalf of the former surgery?
(Also, you've reminded me that I need to opt out. Funny there's no form for that in the envelope..)

My father's paper records were mistakenly switched for another person's and given to a consultant whom he was seeing. By a miracle, the other man had not been diagnosed with cancer or other terminal illness...











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