Manx Care says it accepts there is a ‘significant risk’ to patient safety because of difficulties sharing medical records across the health body.
It's been asked to take action by the coroner of inquests and change the way they can be shared between what he’s described as ‘silos’.
Coroner James Brooks’ recommendation follows the death of a Ramsey resident last year who unintentionally overdosed on prescription medication.
Tessa Hawley speaks to Manx Care Chief Executive Teresa Cope:
there has been this long-standing recommendation for the system to have a single health care record. And that piece of work is being progressed. It was initially led by the Cabinet Office Health and Care Transformation Program, and now it's been led by the Department of Health and Social Care. So whilst the month's care are very closely involved in developing the specification and contributing to the business case for that month's care record, it has been led by the Department of Health and Social Care. Is this also something that's raised to you as Chief Executive of Manks Care by medical professionals who see this as a real issue? Yes, it is. Our medical professionals all feel this is a significant risk. Those individuals giving evidence into the coronal process in this particular case highlighted it. Our clinicians have always stressed the importance of a single health care record. It's an important part of having safe clinical services, being able to look at records. Individuals don't just access services in one part of the system. They will have multiple points of entry into health and care, and it is really important that we are able to get a full and comprehensive history. Now our clinicians go to great lengths to mitigate that and to where possible get a full history, understand where there may be other parts of the clinical record, but we have identified that this has caused some significant risk, and obviously that's why the coroner has made that rule 34 ruling and made those recommendations in light of this unfortunate and very sad case. They do that when they believe that they may be able to prevent a future similar death from happening. So obviously it shows to the public the level of seriousness that he's placed on this. In terms of a response to the coroner and what Monkscare has told the coroner of inquest that it will do, how has that been left between the two? - We have acknowledged the recommendation. We have identified that this has been a longstanding issue and something we are committed as an organisation to address. There is some positive news in that the business case for the Monkscare record has now been completed. That has gone through the Monkscare Board. It is going through various other governance routes on its way through to treasury to seek funding. So there is some positive progress to report on this, but obviously in the meantime the organisation continues to do what it can to mitigate and the risk. - Thank you for making it to the end of the Monksradian Newscast. You are obviously someone with exquisite taste. May I politely suggest you might want to subscribe to this and a wide range of Monksradia podcasts for your favourite podcast provider, so our best bits will magically appear on your smartphone. Thank you. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [BLANK_AUDIO]
