The Data (Use and Access) Bill has become law, with promises to boost efficiency in the NHS.

By cutting NHS and police bureaucracy, speeding up roadworks, and turbocharging innovation in tech and science, the new data regime is set to pump £10 billion into the British economy over the next decade.

The Act will ensure that healthcare information, like a patient’s pre-existing conditions, appointments and tests, can easily be accessed in real time across all NHS trusts, GP surgeries and ambulance services, no matter what IT system they are using. It is expected that enabling data sharing across platforms will save NHS staff 140,000 hours a year in admin, giving them more time to care for patients and make better informed decisions for them more quickly.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: "For too long, previous governments have been sitting on a goldmine of data, wasting a powerful resource which can be used to help families juggle food costs, slash tedious life admin, and make our NHS and police work smarter.

"These new laws will finally unleash that power for hardworking people – putting cash back in pockets and boosting vital public services, all part of our Plan for Change."
 

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said: "This is a game-changing moment for UK healthcare.

"No longer will patients be left waiting needlessly for treatment as NHS staff battle “computer says no” bureaucracy.

"We’re making it easier for GPs, nurses, and paramedics to access the information they need, when they need it, safely, securely and at speed.

"Only by challenging the status quo and cutting through red tape can we truly deliver our Plan for Change and an NHS Fit for the Future."