// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Watchdog and critics raise concerns over reliability of NHS medical records
Patients operated on by brain surgeon Sam Eljamel will raise the issue of inaccurate or missing medical records during the ongoing public inquiry into the disgraced medic
Concerns have been raised about the reliability of the NHS medical records systems used in Scotland.
Their accuracy has been questioned by the public services watchdog and critics warned there were doubts about their reliability in safety investigations and court cases.
Victims of disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel have complained of "significant gaps" in their records and said they often do not reflect the reality of their care.
The Scottish government said it took the concerns raised seriously and was engaging with health boards over ways to improve the reliability of patient records.
There are millions of patient records in Scotland, which contain information about your health, care and treatment.
When things go wrong they are relied upon for investigations and legal challenges.
However, there is no central NHS system where these records are kept and a number of concerns about their accuracy have been raised in recent years.
The long-running Scottish Hospitals Inquiry's probe into patient safety issues at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus has heard concerns about missing medical records and about how information was recorded.
The issue of accurate medical records will also feature heavily in the recently started public inquiry into the actions of Eljamel at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital.