Doctors will be able to access and share patient data more readily thanks to a new £4m IT system that will incorporate information from four Scottish health boards.
The single-search system will group together information from NHS Lothian, NHS Fife, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Borders. The information contained in the database will cover more than a quarter of the population of Scotland.
The system is to be created after a similar project was launched in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, which covers 1.2 million people.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the system would help to speed up patient care while also making it safer. She said that it would also improve the security of patient information.
Healthcare professionals across primary and acute care will all be able to use the ‘clinical portal’ to access the same information.
Ms Sturgeon (pictured, right) said: “Investing in new technology is bringing real benefits for patients and staff across our health service. It saves time for staff – and making care more efficient is always good news for patients.”
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