Have you ever wondered why, when you visit your GP or a hospital, you find yourself having to repeatedly answer the same questions about your health and medical history?
That’s because different health and care providers use different computer systems to record your details, and the information on these systems can’t be shared or seen by the professional or organisation looking after you.
That’s now a thing of the past as One Health and Care (OHC), a confidential shared care record for the Black Country, is live.
OHC allows health and social care professionals directly involved in your care to view relevant information about you which is held by other parts of the NHS and social care.
This means you only need to tell your story once, and professionals can instantly access the information they need to treat you quickly, safely and effectively.
OHC includes GP practices and their patients across West Birmingham as well as the Black Country. It is also live in our neighbouring areas of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, so if you’ve previously had treatment in these areas, any professional who is caring for you will be able to see that information too.
There are two parts to OHC that you need to know about – data for your care and data for planning.
Within One Health and Care (OHC), professionals involved in your care may view details such as:
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Your name, date of birth, gender, where you live, phone number and NHS number
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The name of your GP practice and GP
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Medications you take and any allergies
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Health conditions, diagnoses and your medical history
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Vaccinations, test results, hospital referrals, admissions, discharges and clinic visits
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Information about your mental health, social care support and care plans
Accessing this information helps health and care staff make critical decisions about your care, ensuring that you and your family receive safer, tailored care and treatment wherever you may need it.
Only health and care professionals who are involved in your treatment and support can view your record. This includes GPs, hospital doctors, nurses, social workers, emergency department staff, and community health teams, like district nurses.
Your information is kept secure and confidential, and access is tracked and recorded to ensure it’s only seen by those who need it.
Can I say no?
Yes, you have the right to object at any time.
However, please be aware that opting out means services caring for you won’t be able to see information held by other providers. This could affect your care, especially in urgent situations where staff need quick access to things like your medical history.
The choice is entirely yours. If you do not want your details shared through OHC, you can request to object by contacting your GP.
Within One Health and Care (OHC), a version of your data, with personal details like your name, address, or NHS number removed, is also used to plan and improve local health and care services.
Occasionally, certain details may be used by health and care professionals – like your GP - to identify you, so you can get the right help and support. Your information is always kept safe and private.
Using data in this way helps us understand the health needs of our communities and improve the services we provide. By spotting patterns in health across different areas, we can identify who needs extra support and where we can make the biggest impact. This allows the NHS to act earlier, helping people before health problems get worse, instead of only treating them when they're already unwell.
It also encourages better teamwork between hospitals, local councils, and community groups, so that care is more joined up. Doctors and care providers can use this information to plan better treatments and services for the future.
Importantly, the data in OHC will never be used for marketing or business purposes.
Can I say no?
If you don’t want your health data used for things like planning, you can opt out at any time by contacting the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board.
Email us: bcicb.
Or write to us:
FAO One Health and Care
NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB),
Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square,
Wolverhampton, WV1 1SH
This won’t affect your individual care, but it may limit how your data helps improve services for others in your community.
You’ll find lots more information in our frequently asked questions. These will give you answers to some of the things you might still want to ask after reading our Fair Processing Notice. They’ll also cover new developments with the shared care record as and when they happen, explaining what these mean for you.
Our Fair Processing Notice sets out in detail the types of information that is recorded about you, why this is necessary and the ways in which this information may be used.
