HC Deb 14 January 2003 vol 397 cc520-1W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have online secure access to their electronic records. [88758]

Mr. Lammy

Trials involving a very small number of patients are currently taking place. The My Health Space project, which is the personal electronic record under development by NHS Direct Online, is conducting a pilot trial to give patients access to their records.

Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects electronic prescribing to be available through the NHS; [88739]

(2) what development work has been done for the introduction of electronic prescribing. [88738]

Mr. Lammy

Three pilots are currently transferring prescription data electronically from general practitioners to community pharmacies and the Prescription Pricing Authority. These are being run by three private sector consortiums on behalf of the Department.

The pilots are being fully and independently evaluated, and will inform the business case and how best to establish and rollout the electronic transmission of prescriptions in the national health service in line with "Pharmacy in the Future—Implementing the NHS Plan".