Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England is taking to improve communication between (i) NHS Trusts and families and (ii) different Trusts in cases where patients are transferred between (A) hospitals and (B) trusts.

NHS England has a range of guidance online relating to communicating with patients, and the sharing of medical records for direct care. NHS England continues to support the secure sharing of patient information to improve safety, reduce the duplication of tests, and support patient choice. Programmes such as Connecting Care Records are designed to enable appropriate access to patient information across organisational boundaries.

In the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan there is a commitment to create a Single Patient Record (SPR). The SPR will provide a single, secure, and up to date record that brings together health and care information so clinicians can access the appropriate information they need, wherever a patient receives care. This will help reduce the delays caused by missing information, and clinicians working with incomplete histories. Subject to parliamentary timetables, the SPR will begin rolling out from 2028, starting with maternity and frailty.

The National Health Service is taking a digital-first approach to patient communications, to ensure seamless and effective communications with patients and families. Further information is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/digital-first-messaging

There is no specific guidance relating to ensuring correspondence relating to a child is sent to the correct addresses, as this relates to ensuring the accuracy of records which runs throughout the guidance both produced by NHS England, and the professional bodies.

NHS England’s Policy and Guidance Manual for Primary Medical Services provide standard operating processes for general practice registration and include specific guidance when registering a child and the circumstances in which safeguarding guidance should be followed. This essentially underlines a “think family” approach and states an adult with parental responsibility should normally be registered at the practice with the child. Further information on NHS England’s Policy and Guidance Manual for Primary Medical Services is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/primary-medical-services-policy-and-guidance-manual-pgm-2/