Confidentiality.
The NHS plans to move patients' notes away from the practice to be stored on a national computer system. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The GP professional bodies believe that patients should make a definite choice to allow their notes to be held centrally. The Government has decided to take the notes unless patients object. Once the notes are uploaded there is no facility to withdraw permission therefore we feel this is an important decision. We note that patients had strong views on this when we asked them before. We were also criticised after that consultation because we made known our own views and raised issues not raised by the NHS. There is a form to withdraw and we have put more information on the website or at the surgery.