New NHS bill will give every patient in England one shared medical record from 2027

The NHS Modernisation Bill will create a single shared medical record for every patient in England.

Health Minister Karin Smyth introduced the bill, formally known as the Health Bill, on Thursday (14 May 2026). Clinicians will get access from 2027, starting with maternity and frailty care. The bill also abolishes NHS England.

All NHS providers including hospitals and GPs will have to share data so doctors, nurses and specialists can see a patient’s full medical history wherever they are treated.

“The NHS Modernisation Bill paves the way for the Single Patient Record, enabling patients to have real control over their care through a single, secure and authoritative account of their data for the first time ever,” said Smyth.

“It will be a gamechanger that means NHS staff can see patients’ medical records, allowing them to deliver better care faster and more conveniently, and even saving lives,” she said.

The Department of Health and Social Care said abolishing NHS England, which it described as the world’s largest quango, would reduce duplication and free up resources for frontline care. Local leaders have complained of “two centres” creating confusion and diluting democratic accountability for the NHS.

The bill transfers NHS England’s functions into the department and the wider health system. It also empowers Integrated Care Boards, the regional bodies that plan and pay for health services, and Foundation Trusts to make more decisions locally.

Patients will have controls over how their data is used, with audit trails and different access levels for different staff. The bill includes safeguards against data breaches and the department said it consulted the public and healthcare professionals on its design.

“The Single Patient Record will revolutionise patient care, giving all health and care professionals across the country a detailed record of a patient’s care in one place,” said Alec Price-Forbes, National Chief Clinical Information Officer at NHS England.

Patient groups have welcomed the move while flagging the need for transparency. Jacob Lant, Chief Executive at National Voices, an umbrella body for health and care charities, said the move could be a step change for patient safety.

“Creating a single patient record across the NHS could be a game changer for patient safety and experience,” said Jacob Lant, Chief Executive at National Voices.

“Done well, it should reduce the burden on people having to repeat their story, help clinicians access the information they need, and support patients to feel that the NHS knows who they are and what matters to them,” he said.

Lant warned that any use of data beyond direct care must have clear safeguards, transparent rules on who can access information, and meaningful ways for people to exercise their rights.

He said setting out the single patient record in the bill meant Parliament could scrutinise it, unlike previous NHS data sharing plans.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents medical royal colleges and faculties across the UK, said the bill would lift the burden on doctors and speed up patient flow through the system.

“The Bill finally delivers the possibility of a joined-up, comprehensive single patient record which will not only improve patient safety but also patient experience by enabling clinicians to access patients’ records, wherever the patient is,” said Jeanette Dickson, Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

Dickson said the new technology must not increase health inequalities by excluding those who are digitally impoverished.

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