System bids to solve problem of patient medical data

ONE-IN-FOUR people over the age of 50 arrive in accident and emergency departments with insufficient knowledge of their medical condition and medication, an A&E consultant warned yesterday.

And new research reveals that less than 20% of patients over the age of 50 have a family member or carer who is proactively involved with their health.

Four out of five GPs agree that a system enabling prompt sharing of information between doctors and the emergency services would lead to improved patient outcomes, according to the research.