NHS Records / Databases
Discussion
My wife is currently receiving chemotherapy have been diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram.
The mammogram appointment letter and subsequent referral letters came to the correct address.
At an early stage we attended an appointment and my wife's medical records had a sheet of labels with an old address on them.
We are told that the GP's database is king, and any address changes are cascaded down from the GP.
The GP wrote to the Breast Clinic asking for advice on whether they could or should continue to prescribe HRT. The GP used an old address, which then cascaded through the hospital so that subsequent appointment letters suddenly went to an old address.
The beginning of chemo was more stressful as she was only finding out about appointments when people were ringing her asking why she had not attended.
The GP says they never had this address - it was always the old address. But this does not make sense as if it's true that addresses cascade - the original appointments came to the current address. Where did that come from?
Today we had an appointment where they confirmed the address - correctly. She was then weighed (everyone likes to weigh her!), and hey presto her notes were labelled with a sticker with the old address.
It's nuts how many address sources there are, and seems completely impossible to get a handle on...
There you go - frustration shared!
The mammogram appointment letter and subsequent referral letters came to the correct address.
At an early stage we attended an appointment and my wife's medical records had a sheet of labels with an old address on them.
We are told that the GP's database is king, and any address changes are cascaded down from the GP.
The GP wrote to the Breast Clinic asking for advice on whether they could or should continue to prescribe HRT. The GP used an old address, which then cascaded through the hospital so that subsequent appointment letters suddenly went to an old address.
The beginning of chemo was more stressful as she was only finding out about appointments when people were ringing her asking why she had not attended.
The GP says they never had this address - it was always the old address. But this does not make sense as if it's true that addresses cascade - the original appointments came to the current address. Where did that come from?
Today we had an appointment where they confirmed the address - correctly. She was then weighed (everyone likes to weigh her!), and hey presto her notes were labelled with a sticker with the old address.
It's nuts how many address sources there are, and seems completely impossible to get a handle on...
There you go - frustration shared!
Slow.Patrol said:
Does she have the NHS App?
Although, to be fair, the only contact details in the app are my email address and mobile phone number.
I get most of my letters via the app these days. The post is pretty crap here.
She does. However, a lot of her appointments don't feature on it.Although, to be fair, the only contact details in the app are my email address and mobile phone number.
I get most of my letters via the app these days. The post is pretty crap here.
One that did was an urgent referral for Cancer investigation to the breast clinic. Given that they had already removed 2 lumps, it was again a cockup.
There is a central reference 'spine' for patient details - it's called the Patient Demographic Service (PDS). In theory this should be receiving updates from GP practices, hospitals and any other services linked to healthcare and vice versa. In practice, it's entirely possible for one hospital to have different patient details to another due to local systems not being linked up, or if a data update doesn't take place.
I assume that's why I'm asked for my name / address at every single appointment I go to at a variety of locations, GP and hospital
I assume that's why I'm asked for my name / address at every single appointment I go to at a variety of locations, GP and hospital
evening surveyor ….
the gp system is “king” and will share the address to other nhs systems.
but other systems do have the ability to send back to the gp system a different address…. which will then become THE address.
other systems - a member of staff can select what they think is the correct address and save it…. which will send back to gp
effectively this sounds like human error !
get your GP to update your address
then wait 24 hours and call the chemo place and check they have the correct address.
hope this helps …..
the gp system is “king” and will share the address to other nhs systems.
but other systems do have the ability to send back to the gp system a different address…. which will then become THE address.
other systems - a member of staff can select what they think is the correct address and save it…. which will send back to gp
effectively this sounds like human error !
get your GP to update your address
then wait 24 hours and call the chemo place and check they have the correct address.
hope this helps …..
two reasons why you are asked ….
1 make sure your contact details are correct including telephone number for text messages
2 you are whom you present to be.
1 make sure your contact details are correct including telephone number for text messages
2 you are whom you present to be.
bigpriest said:
There is a central reference 'spine' for patient details - it's called the Patient Demographic Service (PDS). In theory this should be receiving updates from GP practices, hospitals and any other services linked to healthcare and vice versa. In practice, it's entirely possible for one hospital to have different patient details to another due to local systems not being linked up, or if a data update doesn't take place.
I assume that's why I'm asked for my name / address at every single appointment I go to at a variety of locations, GP and hospital
I assume that's why I'm asked for my name / address at every single appointment I go to at a variety of locations, GP and hospital
RGG said:
Surveyor,
It looks like your wife is not registered on Systmonline?
The practice will give you the info on registering.
Then you should be able to keep a daily track on the address "of the day".
Interesting app. Her address is accurate now at least…It looks like your wife is not registered on Systmonline?
The practice will give you the info on registering.
Then you should be able to keep a daily track on the address "of the day".
Edited by RGG on Wednesday 6th November 21:18
surveyor said:
RGG said:
Interesting app. Her address is accurate now at least…RGG said:
I can't give you a screenshot, but it gives you access to all of the GP records, you can request medicines and repeat medicines. Some surgeries you can make appointments. Really, everyone should be using it, with it having so many benefits. I would say it's just about the most transparent part of the NHS.
As long as your GP uses SystmOne (most do) then spending a bit of time getting the Airmid app working is well worth it. From memory you can use your NHS app login to access Airmid, no need to request access from the GP.Not all NHS Trusts use that App you refer to above, for example Greater Manchester 'MyMFT' which is accessed through the MyChart App. Whilst it replicates to a degree what the NHS App contains it goes a lot further and provides access to referall and consultant letters etc. Whilst it records visits and appointments it doesn't record GP appointment/visits which is still done via the NHS App. So for a GP appointment I can get a text to confirm a booking, a reminder text the day before AND an appointment message via NHS App!
I had the misfortune of being dealt with in A&E a few years back and as part of the triage I had bloods taken for tests before I was then seen by the relevant clinician. The bloods must have gone to the lab straight away and within 30mins of them being taken I got a message via MyMFT in the waiting room which had all the results. Very impressive.
All said given the NHS is national there should be a definitive solution and one App and not, as I suspect, one that can be chosen by the various trusts under devloved budget arrangements.
I can't comment on address changes as I've lived in the same house for 25yrs and the GP is more interested in my current mobile number and email.
I had the misfortune of being dealt with in A&E a few years back and as part of the triage I had bloods taken for tests before I was then seen by the relevant clinician. The bloods must have gone to the lab straight away and within 30mins of them being taken I got a message via MyMFT in the waiting room which had all the results. Very impressive.
All said given the NHS is national there should be a definitive solution and one App and not, as I suspect, one that can be chosen by the various trusts under devloved budget arrangements.
I can't comment on address changes as I've lived in the same house for 25yrs and the GP is more interested in my current mobile number and email.
We’ve got somewhere over the past few days.
My wife rang nhs direct in 2021 and went to urgent care. It looks like the NHS spine was updated then and the new address survived for some time.
The doctors over the next 3 years had a few copy letters and had not identified the different address.
My wife queried a prescription for hrt which they had had refused to give. Under pressure they wrote to the cancer unit, or maybe referred her by accident (this has been hidden in the communications so far). This communication seems to have updated the NHS spine to the old address.
What seems really obvious is having 2 different addresses is a bad thing, and actually if the GP become aware that their address records may be wrong they should actually investigate this. Not ideal for them obviously.
My wife rang nhs direct in 2021 and went to urgent care. It looks like the NHS spine was updated then and the new address survived for some time.
The doctors over the next 3 years had a few copy letters and had not identified the different address.
My wife queried a prescription for hrt which they had had refused to give. Under pressure they wrote to the cancer unit, or maybe referred her by accident (this has been hidden in the communications so far). This communication seems to have updated the NHS spine to the old address.
What seems really obvious is having 2 different addresses is a bad thing, and actually if the GP become aware that their address records may be wrong they should actually investigate this. Not ideal for them obviously.
wyson said:
I still remember the news from a decade ago, when they tried to bring it all under a centralised system spent billions and failed miserably. Fujitsu was at the centre of it again, just like the Post Office Horizon scandal.
I've written a 3000 word dissertation on this, short version is don't ask IT developers to build a clinical system without clinical input.Armitage.Shanks said:
Not all NHS Trusts use that App you refer to above, for example Greater Manchester 'MyMFT' which is accessed through the MyChart App.
Epic......for entertainment but sadly there is some fact behinds these videos.https://youtu.be/xB_tSFJsjsw?si=_0MOiy2C1W24Dyac
https://youtu.be/McKXI7Qe6ns?si=V_jWV7C5znTK8l8Y
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff