A
study, led by a Leeds Beckett University researcher, is aiming to discover how
the people of Leeds think the NHS and Leeds City Council could be using their
information.
As
part of Leeds Health and Wellbeing Board’s desire to make the most effective
links between the city’s health and care organisations, the Joined Up Leeds
project, will seek people’s views on issues such as whether hospital doctors,
community health workers and GPs could all see medical records. The project is
led by Dr Fiona Fylan, a health psychologist and health-related behaviours
expert at Leeds Beckett University.
Councillor
Lisa Mulherin, Chair of Leeds health and Wellbeing Board, said:
“Here
in Leeds we are pioneering significant work across health and social care to
make people’s lives safer and healthier by ensuring that services and
information are more joined up around the needs of people not organisations.”
“The
different parts of the NHS and council in Leeds hold a lot of information about
us, but they often can’t bring that information together in one place, either
because of technical reasons or data protection rules. This means the people
who look after our health and wellbeing sometimes don’t have all the
information they need to best be able to help us. We want to ask people how
they would be comfortable having their information used more effectively to
improve health outcomes.”
Dr
Fylan explained:
“If
health professionals can all see your medical records then this opens up the
possibility for better, more seamless healthcare. This could find the answers
to some pretty big questions that could help the people of Leeds be healthier.
It also throws up some questions around data protection and privacy.
“Through
the Joined Up Leeds project we are hosting conversations across the whole of
Leeds about what our city should do with this vital and potentially life-saving
information so the people of Leeds can help decide how their information is
used.”
The
Joined Up Leeds project, delivered by Brainbox Research in partnership with
Leeds City Council and the NHS, will engage citizens of Leeds in a number of
ways.
Those
interested can sign up to take part and download an activity pack by emailing hello@brainboxresearch.com. Alternatively the Joined Up team are
helping to facilitate conversations in workplaces and community groups as well
as hosting groups around the city.
More
information about the project can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/joinupleeds
Ends
For
further details please contact Mark Dorey in the Communications team at Leeds
Beckett on 0113 812 3021 or email m.dorey@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or
contact Phil Morcom at Leeds City Council communications on 07891 276270
philip.morcom@leeds.gov.uk