May’s Future of Primary Care webinar – Moving beyond access to understanding in patient health records | Events
May’s Future of Primary Care webinar – Moving beyond access to understanding in patient health records | Events
May’s Future of Primary Care webinar – Moving beyond access to understanding in patient health records
How do we ensure that giving patients access to their health records truly improves care, rather than creating confusion or anxiety?
That question sat at the heart of May’s ‘Future of Primary Care’ webinar, hosted by Dr Mohit Venkataram, Deputy Chief Executive at North East London Foundation Trust.
Opening the session, Dr Venkataram reflected on both his personal experience as a patient and the wider strengths of the NHS, highlighting that:
“The reason the NHS is a success… is not just because of the systems and processes and funding in buildings. It’s because of the hearts and the passion and the effort that multitude clinical teams put in.”
He also highlighted the scale of delivery in primary care, noting:
“Primary care delivered 35 million appointments in one month.”
The webinar welcomed Dr Brian McMillan, Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, GP and Registered Health Psychologist, whose research has helped shape national approaches to patient access to health records.
Access is increasing – but understanding is not guaranteed
Dr McMillan outlined how access to records has rapidly evolved, with patients now able to view new information in their GP records by default via the NHS App.
However, he cautioned that access alone is not enough:
“Patients can now see almost everything in their GP record online but many people do still struggle to understand much of what they see.”
Drawing on research spanning over 200,000 patients, he highlighted clear benefits, including improvements in patient-centred care and safety, particularly where patients identify errors in their records.
He also emphasised the scale of change and its impact on clinical practice:
“It's a big sort of cultural change that the record wasn't designed for a patient audience.”
Reflecting on this, Dr Venkataram noted:
“How fantastic to know the allergies were now correctly recorded because it automatically makes it safer for that patient.”
From access to meaningful use
A key theme throughout the session was the gap between access and understanding.
Patients often struggle with medical terminology, test results and clinical notes, which can lead to confusion or anxiety. At the same time, clinicians raised concerns around safeguarding, workload and how records are used in practice.
Dr McMillan shared examples of work underway to address this, including clearer communication of test results, more patient-friendly language and tools to help people better interpret their records.
The discussion also explored the role of AI and digital tools, with both speakers recognising their potential to improve understanding, while acknowledging current limitations.
Reflecting on this, Dr Venkataram noted:
“On other occasions it has been way off centre.”
A shift for patients and the system
The session highlighted that patient access to records represents a significant cultural shift for both patients and clinicians.
While the benefits are clear, the discussion reinforced the need to ensure access is supported and meaningful, particularly in managing risk, safeguarding, and avoiding unnecessary anxiety.
Dr Venkataram emphasised the importance of getting this balance right:
“You got to support people to use it in a way that is genuinely empowering, helpful, supportive and yet not unnecessarily worrying.”
The session closed with a shared recognition that access to records is only the starting point. The real opportunity lies in how we support patients to understand, engage with and benefit from their health information.