Effective management of personal health records is fundamental to modern clinical safety and the seamless integration of digital patient pathways within the NHS. In this article, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Patients Know Best (PKB) platform, learning how its robust infrastructure supports secure data sharing and how you can prepare to navigate its features with confidence. We provide actionable insights into the system’s operational benefits and security standards to help you make informed decisions about your digital healthcare engagement.
What is the Patient Knows Best NHS platform and PKB record?
Patients Know Best (PKB) is a specialised social enterprise and technology platform that serves as a patient-controlled personal health record, trusted by the NHS since 2008. The system functions as a digital bridge between fragmented health services, allowing patients to aggregate data from multiple providers into a single, cohesive view. It is designed to empower individuals by providing them with the tools to manage their own health information while maintaining strict adherence to NHS information governance and GDPR standards. As a professional, I have observed that the PKB Patient Knows Best ecosystem acts as a critical interface for digitising legacy paper-based workflows, thereby reducing the manual burden on administrative staff and clinicians alike.
The platform is engineered to handle massive scale, currently supporting over 7,300,000 registered users who rely on the system for daily health management. Every month, the infrastructure processes over 22,000,000 test results, ensuring that clinical data is delivered promptly to those who need it most. To ensure accessibility for the population, the platform is fully integrated into the NHS App for patients aged 13 and older across England. Because the service is funded by health boards, hospitals, and local practices, it remains entirely free for patients to use, removing financial barriers to digital health engagement.
How does the PKB personal health record work using your NHS login?
The PKB platform functions as an intuitive personal health record accessible via the NHS App, mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers, using the secure NHS login for streamlined authentication. By centralising information, it allows patients to view hospital appointments and outpatient letters in one location, effectively reducing the administrative burden of tracking paper correspondence. When we look at how PKB Patient Knows Best integrates into the daily life of a patient, we see a shift from passive receiving of information to active participation in long-term health monitoring.
Beyond simple record viewing, the system facilitates active health management through secure messaging with healthcare professionals and the ability to connect wearable devices for real-time data tracking. While these features are available to a broad user base, access to GP data is specifically reserved for users aged 16 or over who are registered with a GP practice in England. This tiered approach ensures that sensitive primary care data is handled with appropriate clinical oversight while still granting patients the transparency they require to participate in their own treatment plans.
Benefits of using your NHS login for the NHS Foundation Trust and patient trust
Healthcare providers derive significant operational value from the platform by utilising its open APIs for data integration, which facilitates remote management, monitoring, and virtual consultations. By enabling the creation and sharing of care plans, the platform helps clinical teams coordinate care more effectively, particularly for patients with long-term conditions who require multi-disciplinary input. This transition toward remote-first care models is supported by the fact that the platform is officially endorsed by NHS England through the Innovation Technology Payment (ITP) programme.
| Feature | Operational Impact |
|---|---|
| Open APIs | Seamless integration with existing EHR systems |
| Remote Monitoring | Reduces outpatient clinic congestion |
| Shared Care Plans | Improves multi-disciplinary team coordination |
Security framework and compliance for the PKB record
Patients Know Best maintains a rigorous security posture by ensuring full compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and meeting all specific NHS requirements for health record systems. Data protection is not an afterthought but a core architectural principle; all information is encrypted on secure servers, and the organisation employs a dedicated Data Protection Officer to oversee compliance. By maintaining meticulous Records of Processing, the platform provides the transparency and auditability necessary for NHS-wide deployment.
Important: Always ensure that your local clinical governance team has reviewed the granular privacy settings within the platform, as this allows patients to hide specific records, which may impact clinical decision-making if not properly managed. This level of granular control is a unique selling point of the PKB Patient Knows Best model, effectively placing the patient in the driver’s seat of their own privacy preferences.
Technical integration for the NHS Foundation Trust website
Integrating the platform with existing NHS systems involves a structured deployment strategy that maps Organization Data Service (ODS) codes to facilitate accurate data flow between clinical portals and the patient record. Organisations can connect the platform to existing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems like EMIS or Epic via robust APIs, ensuring that data is synchronised without requiring clinicians to switch between disparate interfaces. In my experience, the biggest hurdle during rollout isn’t the software itself, but the human element—so keep your training modules short and punchy to avoid overwhelming the staff.
- Verify that your IT department has mapped all necessary ODS codes.
- Ensure the NHS login single sign-on is properly configured for your trust.
- Conduct a pilot phase with a small clinical department before scaling.
- Review all GDPR compliance documentation with your Data Protection Officer.
Clinical impact and patient experience
The clinical impact of the platform is best demonstrated by its successful implementation at major institutions such as the University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) and the Medway NHS Foundation Trust. These deployments show that when a system is integrated with the NHS App, it drives significant user engagement, with over 125,000 new users joining the platform every month. This consistent growth highlights the platform’s reliability and its role in modernising the interface between hospitals and their patient communities.
Patient feedback reflects this positive trajectory, with 631 reviews on Trustpilot underscoring the value users place on having immediate, digital access to their health records. The platform’s professional standing is further confirmed by its inclusion on the shortlist for the 2024 HSJ Partnership Awards, a testament to its effectiveness in complex healthcare environments. For professionals evaluating digital tools, these metrics serve as a reliable indicator of the platform’s stability, user acceptance, and overall contribution to improving the patient experience within the NHS landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I access my child’s medical records through the PKB account?
Access to a child’s records depends on the age and local Trust policies regarding proxy access. Generally, parents may be granted access to their child’s record through the platform’s proxy management features, provided they follow the identity verification process required by the local NHS Foundation Trust.
What should I do if my test results are not appearing on my record?
If your test results are missing, first verify that the hospital or clinic where the test was performed is actively connected to your PKB record. If the connection is active, contact the hospital’s patient advice and liaison service (PALS) to confirm that the results have been uploaded to the digital portal.
Is it possible to share my record with a private consultant?
Yes, you can share your record with healthcare professionals outside of the NHS, including private consultants, by using the platform’s secure sharing features. You retain full control over who can view your information and can revoke access at any time through your account settings.
How does the platform handle data requests from solicitors or insurance companies?
The platform does not automatically share your health data with external parties like solicitors or insurance companies without your explicit consent. You remain the owner of your data, and any requests for information access must be initiated and authorised by you through the platform’s secure sharing protocols.
Successful adoption hinges on verifying your ODS mapping and ensuring that clinical staff are fully trained on the platform’s granular privacy controls before full-scale deployment. Prioritising these technical foundations will allow your organisation to securely leverage the full potential of patient-controlled records for better clinical outcomes.
