How your medical records are currently stored and what's changing
At the moment, your medical records are stored at your GP surgery.
In future, all Jersey GPs will use the same central computer system for storing medical records and the information will be held securely in one place. Eventually, it may be used by the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department, as well as other health organisations.
Why it’s changing
This new central data store, called GP Central Services System (GPCS), will improve patient safety and continuity of care.
With your consent, it will allow your records to be accessed if you visit a different GP surgery or the GP Out of Hours Service. It will allow health professionals to know your current medical problems and how they are being treated.
Keeping your medical records safe and secure
Your GP surgery is responsible for controlling access to your records. You can ask what information is stored about you, who has accessed it and for what reason, but be aware that there may be an administration charge for this.
You have the right to stop all or part of your medical history being shared with other medical professionals, and you can change your mind at any point.
Health and Social Services will only have access to statistical data, eg the number of people with particular conditions like asthma or diabetes, but won’t have access to your actual personal records.
If you have any questions about the safety of your records, speak to your surgery.
If you decide to keep your medical history confidential
You must be aware that if you stop your medical history being shared, it may result in you not receiving the best possible care. Health professionals will be stopped from knowing any allergies you have to any medications, or what your current medical problems are and how these are being treated by your GP.
If you decide you want to keep all or part of your records confidential, you can fill out the below opt out form.
Download opt out form (size 90kb)
Where your medical records are stored
All your medical information is stored securely in two data centres in Leeds which are subject to UK and Jersey regulations and comply with information security standards.
Each surgery’s patient information is stored independently to ensure it is only access by authorised users, and no one in the UK is authorised to access your medical records.
If you have any concerns about where your medical records are stored, speak to your surgery or visit the Primary Care Body website.
Primary Care Body website
Download an information leaflet on the changing of medical records in English (size 503kb)
Download an information leaflet on the changing of medical records in Portuguese (size 508kb)
Download an information leaflet on the changing of medical records in Polish (size 543kb)
Download an information leaflet on the changing of medical records in large font (size 455kb)
gov.je