Any method of storing data electronically can be accessed unless very strong and complex encryption is used, which costs money to maintain once it is in place. We have all heard stories of 'hackers' gaining access to government and financial institutions computer data bases over the years; the latest number of 'losses' of CDs with sensitive information being lost in the past 12 months alone has had some dire implications.
When it comes to continuity of care I think electronic records, accessible by local surgeries and OOH service providers, does have the potential to improve the service provision to patients, thus improving the care pathway. A lot of patients request treatment OOH and, without a full history, this could lead to abuse or mistakes being made; having access to patient records restricted to a defined, localised area would go a long way to prevent this.
As for finishing the review before the sites have been able to function as designed is no surprise. The governement have shown little or no regard for proper evaluation before initiating 'improvements' to an already battle weary NHS.
Opinions are just that - they are not the same for each individual, although some may be of the same mind. Martin :o)