Just two patients out of thousands at a doctor’s surgery have opted out of a datasharing scheme, launched across Southend.

The borough has been picked by the Government to trial the scheme, where patient data is shared between NHS bodies and the council in a bid to link health and social care records.

The system, where Southend Council, the hospital, the Clinical Commissioning Group, and GPs compile a database of patient profiles, went live yesterday, and it would appear most patients are in favour of the idea.

A snap Echo survey yesterday of Dr Krishna Chaturvedi’s practice in Southbourne Grove, Westcliff, found just two patients out of a list of 3,306 decided to opt out.

He said: “I know people have a lot of concerns over the information going to private companies, but as long as that doesn’t happen it makes a lot of sense to do it. It will allow us to manage patients and their needs a lot better.”

Around 4,000 patients out of a total population of around 175,000 in Southend have both a health record and social care record, and this scheme will allow the two to be linked.

It is hoped this will help social care workers and health professionals work closer with each other, for the benefit of the patient. The idea faced criticism when announced, with concerns raised over how it could be used by third parties, but patients’ names will not be included in the data. Dr. Sharon Hadley, at St. Luke’s Health Centre, in Pantile Avenue, Southend, said: “This waywe can see the big picture, which makes it easier for us to carry out a single assessment.

We’ll have a better understanding of people’s needs so, all in all, I think it’s a really good idea. It’ll mean better standards of care for patients.”

Carol Cranfield, principal social worker at Southend Council, said: “We all strive to provide the highest standards of care, but I know how much better it would be if our social workers could share information with an individual’s GP.

“We could plan care jointly and deliver a single package of care, rather than delivering multiple health and social care services separately. We are confident the end result will be a much better service.’’

Data sharing Q&A

What is the scheme?
The NHS says there are two elements.

The first will link social care and health care.

A GP in Southend will be able to see the social care their patient receives while a named social worker will be able to see relevant health services their client receives.

About 4,000 patients will be affected by this. The second part of it will be a monthly upload of anonymised patient data from Southend GPs on to a database, which will go to an NHSapproved third party – PI Benchmark – which will break down the data and give it back to health bosses to analyse.

The analysts from the commissioning group will look at which health and social care services are being used across the borough and whether those services are delivering the ‘right results’.

No one in that team will be able to identify any patient from that information, the NHS says.

Commissioners say they are not allowed to share the data with other third parties.

How can you opt out?
By contacting your local GP.

How long will the scheme last?
A year.

Who is not included?
Children, mentally ill patients, and those with learning difficulties are exempt.

Sexual health data is not shared either.