CfH says Choose and Book fixes imminent

Connecting for Health says it has fixed or will ‘very shortly’ correct some of the problems in the Choose and Book system uncovered by GPs.

The agency says, however, that it cannot reproduce the unauthorised leaks of clinical information said to have been found in the system.

Speaking at a media briefing, CfH primary care clinical lead, Professor Mike Pringle, said that the problem which wrongly enabled unauthorised staff to change the flag indicating whether or not the patient wished to share information would be resolved ‘very shortly’.

He said the incorrect ‘disability’ label on a flag which indicated a patient might have communication difficulties with NHS staff had already been changed.

But CfH has been unable to reproduce the access to clinical details claimed by a GP practice in Nottinghamshire and reported by GP magazine earlier this month. Professor Pringle said: “There’s an investigation going on and we’re trying to get the person who claims to have seen it [clinical information] to reproduce it. Our understanding at the moment is there is a misunderstanding. We are exploring that because any breach in clinical confidentiality is very important.”

Professor Pringle was unable to offer assurance, however, for GPs concerned that the NHS Personal Demographics System allows staff with smartcard access to the system to search for patients’ demographic details just by entering their name, sex and date of birth within 20 years of the correct one.

Security that will demand a ‘legitimate relationship’ with the patient is not yet in place. Until that is installed, the system relies on NHS staff contracts and the observance of professional duties of confidentiality to ensure patients’ details are not accessed inappropriately.

Professor Pringle said: “If you need to identify a patient attending a practice or attending A&E you need to have access.” However, he pointed out that the system only returns one choice.