Patient FAQs

• Will my health and care information be secure on the new system?​
  Yes. It will be far more secure than it is on paper. All patient information will be stored in the UK, off site, so will be less vulnerable to cyber-attacks or to outside agencies.
  
  
• Who will be able to see my data?​
  Only those staff who have a legitimate relationship with a patient will be able to see their information. The EPR will also allow access to information to be tracked and access prevented where appropriate.
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• Will the data be monetised?​
  Absolutely not. There's no intention within any of the Trusts to make money from patients' information. Data may be used for research, to enhance treatments and to instigate improvements across the acute hospitals to increase efficiency and the patient experience, but this would be done completely anonymously.
  
  
• Can third party organisations access the data?​
  No. Data is not accessible to outside agencies. All contracts conform to current legislation.
  

• Why are the acute hospitals getting an EPR?​
  We are getting an EPR system to give people and communities across Norfolk and Waveney better joined-up care. The digital patient record solution is part of a national ambition the government has to revolutionise how information is generated, securely stored and shared where needed to improve care.
  
  
• What does it mean for me as a patient?​
  It will improve the experience of care patients have in any of our Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group hospitals. The EPR system will give staff access to your important health and care information at each site so your interactions with services are readily available to view. The EPR will make patients safer with digital health records flagging up things like allergies and past interventions. These changes will also allow patients to engage with their care much better and strengthen the partnership between them and clinical services. In the future, EPR could offer opportunities for us to explore other ways of capturing health and wellbeing information into the system already used in some settings (e.g smart devices, patient questionnaires, at home monitoring etc.)
  
  
• What is the difference between the EPR and the Norfolk and Waveney Shared Care Record?​
  The EPR is a digital information system which staff will be able to view and record care information on. EPR notes will only be editable and accessible for staff in the three acute hospitals. The Shared Care Record is a way of bringing together your most important records from different organisations involved in your health and social care. These are visible to frontline health and social care professionals, at the point of care, in a read-only view. This is much wider than just the acute hospitals and includes partners in the Integrated Care System such as primary care, mental health, community and social care providers. Eventually, once the EPR is rolled out, a read-only view of your acute hospital notes may be available on the Shared Care Record to help give staff in the other parts of the health and care system who are directly involved in your care, a holistic view of your health and wellbeing.​