The government has claimed that a new NHS modernisation bill, receiving its second reading in Parliament on Monday, could reduce emergency department attendances by 20,000 a year through mandatory data sharing between healthcare providers across England.

The bill proposes a Single Patient Record system that would require GPs and hospitals to securely share patient data as part of the government's 10-year health plan. It would also abolish NHS England, transferring its functions directly to the Department of Health and Social Care in an effort to reduce administrative layers.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, combining single patient records with virtual care could cut A&E attendances by roughly 10,000 a year among frail patients, with a further 10,000 fewer visits attributed to reduced misdiagnoses. The department also projects 6,000 fewer hospital admissions annually, driven by better management of conditions including heart failure and mental health. Clinicians stand to save around 500,000 hours per year, while financial savings of £20 million are forecast through reductions in medication errors, adverse drug reactions and duplicate prescribing.

For patients, the practical effect would be that doctors across different settings could access a full medical history without requiring patients to repeat information at each appointment. Under the new system, community services would achieve better integration. Individuals would gain enhanced oversight of their personal information, supported by audit trails that identify everyone who has viewed their medical records. Social care records and data from private providers working on behalf of the NHS would also be included in the system.

The British Medical Association has raised concerns. Its GP committee has called for doctors to remain data controllers for their patients' records, warning that any transfer of control to the DHSC could damage trust and compromise confidentiality. The stance taken by the BMA underscores a broader anxiety within the medical community regarding the shift of data oversight to a central authority, moving it away from the healthcare professionals responsible for its primary collection and administration.

James Murray, who became Health Secretary last month following Wes Streeting's resignation, sought to address those concerns directly. In a broadcast interview, he said the system would be built with strict legal safeguards, limiting data access to specified individuals and maintaining full audit trails. He added that cybersecurity protections would be central to the design. "When people hear data, they think safety, they think data security," he said, adding that the government would ensure the new system was one "people can have absolute trust in."

The bill extends beyond data sharing. It includes measures to devolve decision-making to integrated care boards and local provider organisations. Also, the legislation establishes a legal framework for NHS Online, a virtual hospital initiative scheduled for a 2027 rollout through the NHS app. According to government projections, this model has the potential to facilitate as many as 8.5 million assessments and appointments during its initial three-year period. Maternity and frailty care are expected to be among the first areas to benefit from the single patient record system, from 2027.

Wes Streeting, now on the backbenches, was expected to argue in the Commons on Monday that sustained reductions in NHS waiting times depend on reform as much as resources. His position reflects a view that productivity gains through technology and structural change are necessary alongside any increase in funding, and that treating investment alone as sufficient has historically limited progress in the health service.