Publication of GP practice data

The Department of Health has unveiled steps for the publication of GP practice data.

The aim is to provide the public with information on services they access on a regular basis, enabling them to make informed choices and decisions.

With GP practices usually the main or first port of call for patients seeking health care advice or treatment within the NHS, that data is being made available to patients and health professionals.

The information will be available on the NHS Choices website, the online 'front door' to the NHS, and more than 500,000 people a month visit the site looking for GP practice information.

The Department of Health see this as a “unique opportunity for every GP practice in England that provides NHS services to manage its own profile page on NHS Choices.”

Many practices who already manage their profiles regularly receive up to 500 visits a month.

Information which can be displayed includes general practice information such as address, contact details, prescription and appointment information, opening hours; information about patient vacancies and how to register; information about facilities and services provided including out-of hours services and specialist services; links to external websites, including practice website; and images and videos of staff and facilities.

With GPs responsible for the majority of patient contact within the NHS and central to both the patient, their family and to the NHS as a whole, the Department says that publishing this data will enable patients, academics, data intermediaries and other organisations to identify relationships and make comparisons, enabling more informed choices.

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