A personal health record stores information about your health and care online. Both you and health professionals who care for you can add information to it.
It’s different to your GP health record, which is a central record that your GP surgery manages. You can view your GP health record, but unlike a personal health record, you can’t add information to it.
How personal health record services are provided
If your GP surgery or hospital offers personal health record services, they’ll have a contract with one or more commercial companies. GP surgeries and hospitals are responsible for the service, but they use websites run by these companies.
Personal health record services in the NHS App
Depending on your GP surgery or hospital, you might have access to personal health record services in the NHS App. This could include:
- hospital and specialist messages, appointments, documents and questionnaires
- useful links that health professionals (such as hospital staff) have shared with you
- care plans recording your choices about how you’re cared for
- records of your hospital medicines
- health symptom tracking
- options about how your records are shared with your health team
- a form to update your GP surgery about changes to your personal details
- forms to contact your GP about a health problem, or to request things like test results, fit notes (sick notes) or GP letters
- a form to join a patient participation group at your GP surgery
You can find out more in our personal health record privacy policy.