Patient Health Records: Access, Confidentiality, and the Journey Toward a Single Record

A July 28 2025 briefing explains current UK laws governing patient access to their own health records and confidentiality protections. It reveals that NHS data remains fragmented—GPs and hospitals each hold separate records, complicating care and research. The government plans to introduce a “single patient record” via the NHS App. While many support better data sharing, concerns linger over third-party access. Electronic record systems are in place in most NHS trusts, but progress continues toward full implementation by 2026. Key legislation now includes the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and updated standards to encourage secure and efficient data sharing.

Read more: Patient health records: Access, sharing and confidentiality – House of Commons Library

Breaking Barriers: Diversity in NHS Communications

A new NHS Confederation report explores key insights and recommendations aimed at improving access, career experiences, and outcomes for ethnic minority (BME) communications professionals across the NHS. It highlights institutional racism, structural bias, limited career progression, and a worrying trend: 26% of surveyed BME communicators expect to leave the profession within three years. The report underscores the urgent need for inclusive practices, allyship, and measurable change across the communications workforce.

Read the full report here: Breaking barriers | NHS Confederation

NHS Launches Official WhatsApp Channel

NHS England has launched a new WhatsApp Channel to share trusted health information directly with the public. The channel will feature short, visual messages covering public health campaigns such as flu and COVID-19, seasonal advice, NHS updates, and myth-busting content.

The channel also encourages users to share posts with family and friends through the app. To join, simply search for ‘NHS’ under the Updates tab in WhatsApp.

Reading Well for Families

We’re excited to introduce Reading Well for Families, a new book collection designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of parents, carers, and families from pregnancy to age two—a period known as the critical “first 1,001 days.” Informed by health professionals and lived experience, this evidence-based collection offers information, personal stories, advice, poetry, and illustrated titles addressing parental wellbeing, perinatal mental health (including anxiety, depression, OCD, birth trauma), and coping with loss (like miscarriage or neonatal death).

These titles are available to borrow for free—browse books in our library or online. Reading Well for Families is part of the broader successful Reading Well programme, known for its positive impact on wellbeing.

Record number of dementia diagnoses on NHS

A recent NHS milestone shows 506,549 people in the UK have received a dementia diagnosis, up from 490,163 a year ago—reflecting improved awareness and access to testing under the NHS 10 Year Health Plan.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has also launched MinderCare, an at-home monitoring service using discreet sensors on beds, appliances, and doorways. It helps clinical teams monitor routines, medication responses, and early signs of decline—supporting safer, more responsive care at home.

In the past year, the NHS delivered 330,460 care plans or reviews and 114,447 medication reviews, reinforcing a stronger support system for those with dementia.

Read more here: Record number of dementia diagnoses on NHS | UK Healthcare News

How Accurate Is HADS-A for Detecting Anxiety Disorders?

A new Cochrane review (Issue 7, 2025) examines the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale—Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) as a screening tool for anxiety disorders (such as generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder) in adults. Based on research published between 1990 and July 2024, the review highlights high variability across studies, methodological weaknesses, and insufficient details about participants’ prior mental health status.

Takeaway: Although HADS-A is widely used due to its convenience, current evidence on its accuracy remains inconclusive—underscoring the need for higher-quality, rigorous studies before using it confidently in isolation.

Read the full review here: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Anxiety subscale (HADS‐A) for detecting anxiety disorders in adults – Fomenko, A – 2025 | Cochrane Library

Transforming UK Clinical Research – August 2025 Update

The UK government’s August 4, 2025 update on clinical research makes notable progress in streamlining trial delivery via the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme. Major highlights include:

  • A bold target to reduce clinical trial setup times to 150 days or less, enabled by digitalisation, reduced bureaucracy, and standard contracts. Phase 1 deliverables were released in April 2025 and phase 2 in June 2025.
  • The VPAG investment programme is enabling faster commercial trial delivery by establishing new Commercial Research Delivery Centres across the UK.
  • A shift toward a “right research, right setting” model aims to move more studies into primary and community care, making research more accessible locally.
  • The ‘proactive portfolio management’ approach is being adopted to enhance collaboration between NIHR and industry, including SMEs, with oversight via an Industry Advisory Group.
  • The reforms build on previous commitments, with streamlined costing and contracting frameworks already completed across NHS England and devolved systems.

Read the full update from the Department of Health and Social Care here: Transforming the UK clinical research system: August 2025 update – GOV.UK

Digital Front Door Technologies for NHS Talking Therapies (NICE HTE30)

Published 24 July 2025, NICE’s EVA guidance (HTE30) evaluates two promising “digital front door” tools—Limbic Access and Wysa Digital Referral Assistant—that help gather service-user information in advance of NHS Talking Therapies assessments for anxiety and depression. These tools can be used during a three-year evidence-generation period if they have the required approvals. NICE emphasises that more evidence on effectiveness, accuracy, equality, and system impact is needed, with future recommendations contingent on the outcomes of this data collection.

Read more on the NICE website: Overview | Digital front door technologies to gather service user information for NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression assessments: early value assessment | Guidance | NICE

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Forensic Psychiatry Bulletin August 2025

With thanks to our colleagues at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation trust the latest Forensic Psychiatry bulletin is now available to view and download. Some articles are freely accessible, others require an Open Athens account.

Please get in touch for support with this: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.

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