They are also not joined up today in the Integrated Care Board of Bucks, Berks and Oxford.
Somewhere along the line, it obviously got too expensive to join stuff up properly. Of course, the fact that GPs can use a variety of systems, like SystmOnline, Patent Access etc., just adds to the complexity and a real life example of when "choice" isn't necessarily a great thing.
Alas,
@AndBreathe, when I lived in Bucks and had my surgery in Oxford, then my subsequent chemo in Bucks but overseen by an Oxford Oncologist (2020) all parties were disadvantaged by the lack of joined up IT. A Bucks Consultant pointedly observed that the truth was "Trusts don't trust" and there was considerable reluctance to pursue any commonality. Not just because of IT security risks, but some senior staff resented the idea that "their patients" could then be managed from elsewhere OR their diagnosis and treatments could be quietly overseen from elsewhere. I sensed that there were "senior staff" who were rather furtively obstructing the idea of any integration.
I was at that time unaware of the initiative (pre-Covid, I think started by Jeremy Hunt when he was Secretary of State) to create the current large Regional Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), which trundled along post Covid and finally went live in mid 2022. These ought to have overtaken the "resistance" but if I'm generous, I can see that post Covid catch up meant that the development work needed for ICBs got overtaken by events!
I moved from Bucks to Berks in mid '23 and at that moment Oncology between Bucks and Oxford was still not joined up. Oxford Oncology had an admin team embedded in Bucks whose job was to act as the conduit between the 2 Trusts and I know for certain that Oxford HPB tapped into that friendly team in enemy territory to get access to my Oncology sponsored CT scans. There was also, at one point, a cat-fight about who should pay for a blood test that Oxford sought; Oxford couldn't raise the phlebotomy request on a Bucks provider.
I have commented elsewhere that Oxford is a very refreshing place to be for health care. The Diabetes Centre Reception have been actively promoting, for at least 12 months, an initiative whereby any outpatient can use their appointment letter in conjunction with their allocated MRN # and sign up to create a patient access account within the Oxford University Hospital Trust. Regardless of where they actually live. This allows me to see, independently of what is on my NHS login, any correspondence or results that Oxford hold about me. This is going a long way to help me consolidate my medical data for myself. I would like to hope that other Trusts have similar initiatives in place or being considered. Integration isn't going to be soon, I fear.
Conversely, according to my NHS records my GP has made over 150 actions on my medical records since I've been in Berks, the vast majority of which tell me nothing of any possible use. There is a date, name of someone in the Medical Centre and sometimes a title that might describe an activity. But letters or Reports that summarise some event might be mentioned, but nothing about any findings, test results or consequential decisions. UNLESS that information was initiated within the Medical Centre. Since my dealings with my GP or the Medical Centre are very infrequent, there is in practice little of use to me in my NHS online records.
It all feels a mess littered with lost opportunities.
