What To Do if I’m Not Called for a Mammogram
April 8, 2026
What to do if I’m not called for a mammogram In this article we will describe what to do if I’m not called for a mammogram. Short answer = don’t ring your GP. Mammograms are x-...
The NHS England Single Patient Record (SPR) represents a monumental shift in how healthcare data is managed, moving away from fragmented systems toward a unified, “patient-first” digital infrastructure.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has recently officially announced the expansion of the Single Patient Record in England as a cornerstone of the government’s 10-Year Health Plan.
Streeting described the move as a “gamechanger” that will save lives by ensuring clinicians have the right information at the right time, signaling a shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.
The legislation will be part of a health bill that will scrap NHS England by 2027.
It will be included in the May 2026 King’s Speech (in 2 days time), which will formalise the requirement for GPs and hospitals to share data, shifting data controllership to a more centralised model.
The bill was not part of Labour’s manifesto and is likely to face significant amendments and challenges in the Commons and the House of Lords.
The project is being guided by Alec Price-Forbes, the National Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) for NHS England.
As a consultant rheumatologist (at UHCW Coventry), Price-Forbes has been vocal about the need to “fundamentally reimagine” how care is delivered.
He emphasises that the SPR is not just a technical upgrade but a clinical necessity to support a “digital by default” model.
While the full integration is a multi-year project, the government has set a firm deadline for the rollout.
In 2026, the NHS will begin testing prototypes in priority areas such as maternity and frailty care.
By 2028, the SPR is scheduled to be fully accessible to patients via the NHS App.
One of the primary goals of the SPR is to end the “frustrating” requirement for patients to repeat their medical history at every appointment.
Whether arriving at an A&E department or visiting a new specialist, your “patient passport” will ensure your records travel with you, reducing administrative friction for both patients and staff.
In emergency situations, such as a heart attack or stroke, seconds matter. The SPR will allow paramedics and emergency staff to immediately view critical information, including allergies, current medications, and past diagnoses.
This provides a safety net that is often missing under the current fragmented system where records are siloed.
The SPR is part of a broader £10 billion digitisation programme intended to modernise NHS infrastructure.
This investment moves the service away from siloed legacy systems and toward an interoperable network where GP and hospital computers “speak” the same language, ensuring seamless data flow across the country.
Under the new framework, NHS England will take on the role of data controller for the unified record. However, the system is designed to give patients more autonomy.
Through the NHS App, users will be able to view their own test results, track hospital letters, and manage their care plans with greater transparency than ever before.
By standardising and securely aggregating data, the government aims to position the NHS as a global leader in medical research.
This will allow the life sciences sector to work alongside the NHS to develop new treatments and utilise genomic data to predict disease risks from birth, potentially revolutionizing preventative medicine.
The transition has faced some scrutiny from the British Medical Association (BMA) regarding data privacy and the changing role of GPs as “gatekeepers” of patient data.
In response, NHS England has committed to robust cyber security standards and continued public engagement to ensure that trust remains the foundation of the Single Patient Record.
What to do if I’m not called for a mammogram In this article we will describe what to do if I’m not called for a mammogram. Short answer = don’t ring your GP. Mammograms are x-...
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