NHS Modernisation Bill: patient records to be centralised across health and care services

A single patient record will avoid people having to repeat dental and medical information to different NHS providers under the government’s newly-announced NHS Modernisation Bill.

The NHS could save around £20 million per year in medication errors, adverse drug reactions and duplicate prescribing according to government proposals to create a centralised health record for each patient.

Set to be debated in Parliament today (1 June), the NHS Modernisation Bill aims to join up fragmented health information around the country. All NHS providers will have to share data so other healthcare workers can securely see the patient’s history.

Improved access to records will begin from 2027, starting with certain specialties including maternity and frailty.

How will the NHS Modernisation Bill affect dentistry?

Dr Alec Price-Forbes, national chief clinical information officer at NHS England, said: ‘For too long, patient information has been held in silos, leading to patients having to repeat their stories, and creating workarounds, potential duplication or gaps in understanding for clinicians.

‘The single patient record will give us an invaluable single point of truth for both the clinician and the patient and means higher quality, safer, more joined-up and more personalised care for patients.’

The need for joined up care across healthcare specialties has often been noted by experts in the dental sphere. Speaking at the Dental Leadership Network event, convened by the GDC in March 2026, deputy chief dental officer for England Rakhee Patel said the UK was ‘missing a trick’ with data sharing.

‘We’re very rich in the NHS with data, but it’s not just healthcare data – it’s health and social care data,’ she said. ‘This includes data that our local councils cover as well. If we know through the NHS where our patients that have been diagnosed with dementia are, or our patients that are at risk of frailty, why are we not using that data to drive care pathways into oral health, and look at them based on risk.’

Why is joined up care important?

James Murray, secretary of state for health and social care, drew on personal experience to highlight the importance of the NHS Modernisation Bill. He said: ‘When I was in my 20s I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition. I am now symptom-free and I get fantastic support from the NHS. But I know how much effort it can be to keep different parts of the health service joined up, and how distressing it is for some patients to repeat their medical history over and over.

‘That’s why our single patient record is so important. It sits at the heart of our NHS Modernisation Bill will end this once and for all – making care safer while saving clinicians’ time.

‘My priority as health secretary is to modernise the NHS and make it work better for patients. This is our 10 Year Health Plan in action – making the NHS fit for the future by building it around patients’ lives, not the other way round.’

Murray recently took over as health secretary following the resignation of Wes Streeting.

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