Patient online access for children aged 11-16 years

NHS England (NHSE) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) have produced some helpful guidance about proxy access regarding Patient Online. 

The full guidance is available here and you can see the executive summary below.

  1. When someone requests online access to a child’s record, it is essential to establish that they have parental responsibility and right of access to the child’s record
  2. Parent and carer access should not inhibit recording of safeguarding concerns in case an abuser will become aware that abuse has been detected. Such data should be redacted where the computer system has the functionality to do so, so that it is not visible online
  3. On the child’s 11th birthday, GP computer systems will automatically restrict the scope of existing proxy access. Parental proxy access may be reinstated if, after discussion with the parent(s) requesting access, the child’s GP believes that proxy access would be in the child’s best
  4. From 11–16, a parent with proxy access will be able to manage certain elements of the young person’s record, such as demographic data, and make appointments and order repeat prescriptions, but they will not be able to see the young person’s past appointments or clinical record. Practices need to be aware that there may be some risk from the parent being able to see the current prescription
  5. On the young persons’ 16th birthday, the systems will switch off all the remaining proxy access except where the young person is competent and has given explicit consent to the access.

If you have any queries please contact Jane Nicholls or Richard Ince in the Patient Online team at NHSE. 

Last updated : 24 Mar 2016