After 20 years of providing emergency cover for each other during half-day closing, two neighbouring rural practices are now using secure record-sharing to make life easier for doctors and patients.

Using the EMIS Web IT system – which enables practices to stream patient records to a secure, central location – GPs at the Egton and Danby surgeries in North Yorkshire can now view the full medical record of any patient from the other practice.

Practice managers can also access records in certain situations, for example to relay critical information to a doctor on a home visit. “It has been tremendously beneficial,” said Egton Surgery practice manager Alison Williams.

"Before we started doing this, the main difficulty for the GPs was around prescribing and medication. Patients very often can’t remember the precise detail of what they are taking.

Debbie Harrison, practice manager at Danby Surgery – 10 miles away – added: “Although we did have some initial concerns around patient consent, they were easily sorted out.

“Patients are asked for their consent at the point of use and so far no-one has said no. It has helped that people are used to both practices covering for each other.” The new system has been positively received by the practices’ four GPs, who between them look after around 5,600 patients.

Further information

For more information about upgrading from an existing EMIS system, please contact us on 0845 123 4455 or email .

For information on moving to EMIS from another clinical system, please contact us on 0845 125 5536 or email .

 Now that GPs can view the full patient record, we have a far more accurate picture.

Alison Williams, Egton Surgery