The NHS Modernisation Bill is due to be debated in parliament today (1 June). 

The Bill will introduce the single patient record, which will allow fragmented health information to be joined up around the country.

All NHS providers will have to share data so the right doctors, nurses and specialists across England can securely see a patient’s medical history, no matter where they are treated.

This means patients will not have to keep repeating their story and should result in safer, more coordinated care.

It should reduce A&E attendances by allowing better community care for frailty patients and reducing misdiagnoses.

James Murray, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: "When I was in my 20s I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition. I am now symptom-free and I get fantastic support from the NHS. But I know how much effort it can be to keep different parts of the health service joined up, and how distressing it is for some patients to repeat their medical history over and over.

"That’s why our Single Patient Record is so important. It sits at the heart of our NHS Modernisation Bill will end this once and for all - making care safer while saving clinicians’ time.

"My priority as Health Secretary is to modernise the NHS and make it work better for patients. This is our 10 Year Health Plan in action — making the NHS fit for the future by building it around patients’ lives, not the other way round."

Dr Alec Price-Forbes, National Chief Clinical Information Officer at NHS England, said: "For too long, patient information has been held in silos, leading to patients having to repeat their stories, and creating workarounds, potential duplication or gaps in understanding for clinicians.

"The Single Patient Record will give us an invaluable single point of truth for both the clinician and the patient and means higher quality, safer, more joined-up and more personalised care for patients."

The bill also sets the foundations for formally transferring NHS England’s functions into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).