Unifying health and care records into one digital health record could help community pharmacies deliver more screening, vaccination, chronic-condition management and acute care, a major UK think tank has suggested.

In a report released this week, The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) proposed the creation of a single digital health record (DHR) that it said would help 'drive improvements to health and care', particularly within primary care, and ensure that the NHS 'is ready for the artificial-intelligence era'.

In particular, the report said that an 'interoperable DHR' that was 'independent of a GP or local hospital' would expand capacity by allowing citizens to consult a wider range of providers 'while preserving both clinical safety and continuity of care'.

'A DHR could expand primary-care capacity in the UK, for example, by facilitating wider expansion of the Pharmacy First scheme, drawing on the skills and capacity in community pharmacies to deliver more screening, vaccination, chronic-condition management and acute care', the report suggested.

And it said that a DHR could offer 'a digital continuity' with a patient's GP and the NHS even if and when patients used other services, including private-sector services.

Even citizens who are generally well go through times when continuity is preferable: pregnancy, situations that require palliative care or investigations of unexplained symptoms are examples. In those circumstances, a DHR would allow patients to choose from a greater range of services – even private-sector services if they preferred – while preserving a digital continuity with their GP and the NHS.

Holding patient records outside of a GP would also help overcome the issue of GP surgeries, as data controllers, being reticent to share patient data, as evidenced by the fact that only about 80% of patients are able to view their GP record through the NHS app currently, the report proposed.

Meanwhile, 'a DHR could deliver precision public health, offering tailored advice, investigations and early treatment based on individual risk of ill health,' the TBI said.

It also recommended the establishment of a 'Protect Britain' programme, underpinned by the DHR, which would be a preventative vaccine and therapeutics programme reporting into the secretary of state for health and social care.

Dr Nick Thayer, head of policy at the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), which contributed to the report, said that the digital health record 'would ensure that health and care data is harnessed to ensure that patients are seen by the right person, at the right time, and in the right place'.

'Any DHR must include all parts of a patient journey and care. Community pharmacy care (and the data that supports that) is critical to a successful patient record. This would allow pharmacy teams appropriate access to wider NHS records, whilst ensuring the care they provide is available across the health system,' he said.

And he welcomed the idea of a DHR expanding access to Pharmacy First and further preventative care such as screening, vaccination, management of long-term conditions and acute care.

The CCA urged the government 'to closely examine these recommendations including the creation of 'Protect Britain'.

'As part of this, community pharmacy has a key role to play in administering preventative vaccination programmes. The sector has a proven track record here and should, in time, become the natural home to administer all adult vaccinations,' Dr Thayer said.