2
Response
Accepted
Patient-focused correspondence
Recommendation
We recommend that it should be standard practice that consultants in both the NHS and the independent sector should write to patients, outlining their condition and treatment, in simple language, and copy this letter to the patient's GP, rather than writing to the GP and sending a copy to the patient.
Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
- In December 2021, the government accepted this recommendation, noting that the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges had updated its 2018 guidance 'Please write to me' in light of this recommendation, emphasising writing directly to patients and copying in GPs (Government Response to the Paterson Inquiry, DHSC, December 2021).
- The December 2022 implementation update stated that the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges guidance had been re-circulated in December 2021, and that NHS app usage had reached 35 million record views by September 2022 with 68% of adults registered, giving patients direct access to their health records (Paterson Inquiry Implementation Update, DHSC, December 2022).
- The GMC published an updated edition of Good Medical Practice in January 2024, which reinforces the principle that doctors should communicate with patients directly and ensure patients understand their diagnosis and treatment options (Good Medical Practice, GMC, January 2024).
- The December 2022 implementation update stated that the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges guidance had been re-circulated in December 2021, and that NHS app usage had reached 35 million record views by September 2022 with 68% of adults registered, giving patients direct access to their health records (Paterson Inquiry Implementation Update, DHSC, December 2022).
- The GMC published an updated edition of Good Medical Practice in January 2024, which reinforces the principle that doctors should communicate with patients directly and ensure patients understand their diagnosis and treatment options (Good Medical Practice, GMC, January 2024).
How was this evidence gathered?
Evidence searched by Claude (Anthropic) on 10 Apr 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The evidence above reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Jurisdiction
England
Response
Accepted
Response
Accepted
Accepted
Department of Health and Social Care
16 Dec 2021
Accepted. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges updated their 2018 guidance 'Please write to me' in light of this recommendation. Guidance emphasises writing directly to patients, copying in GPs, using clear language. NHS England is working to embed this practice across the health service. (Source: Government Response, December 2021)
Source
Inquiry
Paterson Inquiry
Report
Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson
04 Feb 2020
Responsible Bodies
Department of Health and Social Care
Primary
Themes & Tags
Recommendation age
6.3 yrs
Last formal update
1627 days ago