Allow GPs to access the Rio network used by most NHS providers
Allow GPs to access the Rio network used by most NHS providers
The Issue
We, the undersigned, call on the Government and NHS leadership to mandate and fund the integration of General Practice (GP) clinical systems with the Access Rio Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system.
Why is this essential?
Currently, essential patient data is fragmented. While community and mental health trusts increasingly use Rio to manage detailed clinical care, GPs are often locked out of these records.
This digital divide creates severe clinical risks and inefficiencies:
Improved Patient Safety & Safeguarding: GPs frequently operate in the dark regarding a patient's recent community nursing interventions, safeguarding alerts, or mental health crises. Direct Rio access will ensure doctors have a complete, 360-degree view of a patient’s health, especially for vulnerable individuals.
Reduced Administrative Burden & Delays: GPs and community staff waste thousands of hours annually writing letters, making phone calls, and chasing down clinical updates that are already locked in siloed systems. Direct access will streamline workflows and allow practitioners to focus on direct patient care.
Better Continuity of Care: Seamless, real-time interoperability between GP systems and Rio will ensure that patients transitioning between hospital, mental health services, and primary care experience a smooth, coordinated care pathway.
End to "Lost" Referrals and Information: Clinicians across different care settings must be able to securely update and review a single, unified record to prevent crucial medical notes or discharge summaries from falling through the cracks.
The Time for Interoperability is Now
The NHS has long championed the vision of a fully integrated electronic health record. It is unacceptable that frontline GPs do not have the necessary digital tools to view community and mental health histories at the point of care. We urge NHS England to invest in the necessary infrastructure and APIs to securely integrate GP systems with the Rio network.
Sign this petition to demand joined-up, safer, and more efficient healthcare for all patients!
16
The Issue
We, the undersigned, call on the Government and NHS leadership to mandate and fund the integration of General Practice (GP) clinical systems with the Access Rio Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system.
Why is this essential?
Currently, essential patient data is fragmented. While community and mental health trusts increasingly use Rio to manage detailed clinical care, GPs are often locked out of these records.
This digital divide creates severe clinical risks and inefficiencies:
Improved Patient Safety & Safeguarding: GPs frequently operate in the dark regarding a patient's recent community nursing interventions, safeguarding alerts, or mental health crises. Direct Rio access will ensure doctors have a complete, 360-degree view of a patient’s health, especially for vulnerable individuals.
Reduced Administrative Burden & Delays: GPs and community staff waste thousands of hours annually writing letters, making phone calls, and chasing down clinical updates that are already locked in siloed systems. Direct access will streamline workflows and allow practitioners to focus on direct patient care.
Better Continuity of Care: Seamless, real-time interoperability between GP systems and Rio will ensure that patients transitioning between hospital, mental health services, and primary care experience a smooth, coordinated care pathway.
End to "Lost" Referrals and Information: Clinicians across different care settings must be able to securely update and review a single, unified record to prevent crucial medical notes or discharge summaries from falling through the cracks.
The Time for Interoperability is Now
The NHS has long championed the vision of a fully integrated electronic health record. It is unacceptable that frontline GPs do not have the necessary digital tools to view community and mental health histories at the point of care. We urge NHS England to invest in the necessary infrastructure and APIs to securely integrate GP systems with the Rio network.
Sign this petition to demand joined-up, safer, and more efficient healthcare for all patients!
16
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Petition created on 22 May 2026