The single patient record should build on shared care records
In an opinion article published on digitalhealth.net, vitagroup’s CCO Matt Cox explains why the single patient record must build on the progress already achieved with shared care records. He looks at the architectural choices, governance questions, and cultural shifts required to make a truly sustainable national health data platform.
The single patient record should build on shared care records
Shared care records already link millions of patients and professionals. The next step is to build on them through open platforms, not dismantle a decade of progress, writes Matt Cox, chief customer officer at vitagroup
England is advancing the single patient record (SPR) initiative to create a unified, patient-centred digital health record that consolidates data from across NHS services, from hospitals and community care to primary care. According to NHS England, the SPR will be “a single patient record, owned by the patient, shared across the system, so that every part of the NHS has a full picture of the patient”.
In July 2025, this ambition was enshrined in the 10 year health plan for England, which commits to giving patients “a single, secure and authoritative account of their data … to enable more co-ordinated, personalised and predictive care”.
