NHS England is set to move forward with its patient data collection program from this spring.

The move is according to the NHS, designed to improve health care services through the utilisation of modern data services, focusing on areas that show best practice and those that are struggling.

The patient data program is expected to provide data that is similar to information already gathered in hospitals, allowing the NHS to analysis care in GPs and create an overall picture of services.

In preparation of the spring launch date, the NHS has undertaken a PR offensive including a leafleting campaign, in order to mitigate patient fears given current fears surrounding data protection and government intrusion.

NHS England said in a statement that: “Using this combined information, we can now obtain low-cost answers to questions about the quality of care that would have been difficult or impossible to answer only a few years ago.”

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