Patients Know Best
At Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust we have introduced an online service for our patients that gives you secure access to your personal health record. Patients Know Best is a free online patient portal which provides you with access to some of your personal health information and is designed to improve your patient experience. Patients Know Best will enable you to access NHS services and information via a website and the NHS App using your NHS login. All your information is securely stored in one place with instant notifications when new information is made available.
What is Patients Know Best?
Patients Know Best is our online patient portal that enables you to access personal health information relating to the care we provide to you, and is designed to improve your patient experience and access to NHS services and information.
Patients Know Best is a secure online system where your data is stored. Simply log in by visiting the Patients Know Best webpage link here using any internet-enabled device, such as a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. You can view some of your healthcare information such as hospital appointment information and allergies. During 2024 and 2025 we will also add some test results such as full blood count (FBC), glucose monitoring and diagnostic tests. The latter will be particularly helpful for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, as being able to access their own test results from Patients Know Best will help with the self-management of conditions.
Once you have signed up to the system, you will begin to receive some of your future correspondence this way, helping to keep your personal information securely in one place. You can also choose to provide access to your personal information on Patients Know Best to family, carers and health professionals. Don’t worry, this is your choice and you can also remove permissions at any time.
If you have been a patient at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, you may receive an invitation to register for Patients Know Best by email. If you do not wish to register you can ignore the message.
If you haven't received an email and wish to register you can do this through the Patients Know Best website link here.
I have received an email about Patients Know Best how do I know this is genuine?
Emails from patients know best will come from the following email address no-reply-uk@patientsknowbest.com
How do I register for Patients Know Best?
If you have been a patient of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust since May 2017 and we have your email address you may have received an email inviting you to register for Patients Know Best. If you haven't received an email you can register through their website at www.patientsknowbest.com/register/.
Why have I been invited to register for Patients Know Best by one Trust but the logo and welcome message refer to another Trust?
When you register for Patients Know Best via an invite from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, you will see our logo. However, if you have been a patient with another Trust in the past or another Trust has processed some of your test results on our behalf your record may reflect this and show their welcome message and logo.
You can go to the Sharing tab and check which trusts and organisations you are sharing your Patients Know Best record with and amend if you wish.
What healthcare information can I view in Patients Know Best?
If you have registered with Patients Know Best you will be able to view the following in your record:
- Allergy information
- Address and contact information
- Some blood test results
We will be making more information such as test results and appointment details available in Patients Know Best on an ongoing basis. If you have a long term condition you may also wish to use your Patients Know Best record to log your symptoms.
What are the benefits of Patients Know Best
Patients Know Best is a secure online space to view some of your hospital information with instant notifications when new information is made available.
- Your information available on any internet-enabled device, anywhere, anytime.
- The option (if you wish) to share this information with family, carers and health professionals.
- Paperless online access to your personal health information at the Trust.
- Environmentally-friendly, less paper means reducing the impact on the environment.
- Helps to lower postage costs for the Trust by reducing the number of letters sent, helping to focus budgets where most needed.
This service is free to our patients and is offered using the NHS-accredited Patients Know Best system. It’s part of our promise and ongoing commitment to give you more choice and control over your care. The service will allow you to:
View your medical information
Record important medical information
- Allergies
- Data from wearable devices (e.g. glucometers or Fitbits)
- Symptoms
Share and control access to your health record
- Share with a carer, family member or other health and care professionals involved in your care, e.g. your GP, pharmacist, at-home care provider or a paramedic during an emergency.
- Get access whether you are at home, in another part of the country or even abroad.
- Monitor who has access and control what parts of your records they can see.
- Consent to share information for research of your choice.
Sharing your medical information, can be critical for many patients, particularly if you have a long-term condition or any specific care needs.
Manage your health, treatment and communications
- Monitor and track symptoms
- Keep a health journal
- Access resources tailored for you by your healthcare team
Can all patients access Patients Know Best?
Only patients aged 16 and over will be able to register for a Patients Know Best account. If you are 16 or older once you are registered you can choose to share your record with a relative, carer or health professional including your GP. You can choose what information is shared and remove permission for someone else to view your record.
Can I use an email address shared with other family members to register for Patients Know Best?
No, each patient that registers for Patients Know Best must have their own email address. Your email address is used to identify you on the Patients Know Best Portal and the NHS App and therefore must be unique to you. However, you can share your portal record with a family member or carer as detailed below.
Can I give a carer or family member access to my record?
If a family member or carer supports you with your healthcare then you can add them to your Patients Know Best portal record in the ‘Sharing’ section. This will allow them to set up their own account and allow you to control the level of access they have to your record. This may be helpful in ensuring you can get to your appointments and have someone attend with you.
Anyone who has access to your portal record will be able to see basic details of your healthcare record. Before sharing, you should consider whether you would be happy with that person knowing details about both your current and any future healthcare information.
To invite the carer, a patient or a professional when in the patient record, needs to go to Sharing > Friends/Family and click ‘Add carer.’ Once completed, an invitation will be sent to the carer’s email address.
Why can't I see all of my test results?
We are working on making as many results as possible available to patients and will release more during the rest of 2024 and 2025. Some investigations and test results are not available to patients to view or may have a delay because they may need to be explained by a clincian.
Why can't I see my maternity health information?
Maternity records are kept on a separate system to your general health records for which there is not yet a patient portal.
Registering for Patients Know Best
If you have been a patient at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust since May 2017 you may have received an email from Patients Know Best inviting you to register.
If you have not received an email invitation you can still register. For more information please watch the information video.