Publish date: 12 May 2025
Emails and documenting patient care in EPR
If you include any details about patient care in an email, it’s important to make sure this information is also added to the Electronic Patient Record (EPR). This helps ensure accurate, up to date records and safe, consistent care.
Record keeping policy guidance
Avoid copying and pasting entire email threads or documents directly into progress notes or clinical entries in the EPR. If an email or document contains important information about a patient, it should be saved and uploaded as a document in the EPR, with a brief reference included in the clinical entry. (In RiO, make sure the email or document is then linked to the progress note.)
Key points
Patient names must not be used within the email – the NHS Number is the unique identifier and should be used for this purpose.
Please be aware that an uploaded email forms part of the EPR and is therefore accessible to the patient should they request access to their records.
Care should be taken when recording information within the email to ensure the information is accurate, in plain English and without the use of jargon or abbreviations.