MORE than 175,000 patients in Southend could have their visits to GPs monitored and medical records shared with other health bodies, it has been revealed.

Southend is the first area in the country to launch a scheme which will see health agencies in the borough, including GPs, the hospital and Southend Council, compile a database of patient profiles.

The Southend Clinical Commissioning Group claims the new system, which was approved by Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, will improve patient care by providing “joined-up healthcare”

to cater to individual needs.

However, critics argue that patients, who have to opt-out of the scheme themselves, could see their personal information end up in the wrong hands.

Roger Goss, co-director of Patient Concern, said: “This is mind-blowing disrespect for patient privacy and confidentiality.

It is hard to think of a better way to sabotage patient trust in the NHS.”

Professor Sir Brian Jarman, from Imperial College London, said there were “hundreds if not thousands” of breaches of confidential NHS data every year.

Dr Marimuthu Velmurugan, a GP, councillor and Southend Hospital trustee, said: “We don’t know what happens to that data once it’s collected. We have no idea what they are doing with it.

“Will they make money out of it? Will they give it to vested interests? Most patients don’t know about it, but it’s up to patients to tell their doctor they want to opt out of the scheme.

“I don’t think patients know what’s happening.”

However, the Southend Clinical Commissioning Group defended the new scheme.

Dr Jose Garcia-Lobera, chairman of the group, said: “Southend is the first part of the country to be given permission by the Government to share data in this way. It enables the clinical commissioning group and council to integrate health and social care services and this will bring enormous benefits to residents who currently receive multiple care packages.

“Rather than dealing with multiple teams delivering different services, a patient will work with a single team delivering all of their health and social care at the same time. This will minimise the risk of an avoidable hospital admission and enable patients to stay independent in their own home for longer.

Simon Leftley, corporate director for people at Southend Council, said: “We want to reassure residents that security is an absolute priority for us, and for the past year we have worked closely with the Confidentiality Advisory Group to reassure how data will be stored, accessed and used.

“The group is an advisory body which includes GP and patient representation, and its role is to take a strong and challenging ethics position during the application process for data sharing.

“We are the first area in the country to gain this permission.

It is also, specifically, permission which only covers Southend.”

Southend’s 175,000 patients will be involved in the scheme, which goes live on July 27.