PATIENTS in Scotland could soon be accessing their own health records on smartphones.

Experts based at a new e-health centre in Glasgow say the technology exists to make this possible now and that it would improve the safety of record keeping and give patients more control over their own care.

The new centre, owned by Orion Health, gives doctors in Glasgow access to every patient record in one place, speeding up appointments and reducing unecessary tests.

In Australia, patients have access to an eHealth record, a secure electronic summary of key health information drawn from records already held in different parts of the country's healthcare system.

It means patients can access their health information online at any time and share that information with doctors.

It holds details of current medications, allergies and previous adverse reactions to treatment.

Colin Henderson, managing director for Orion Health, said: "The technology exists to do this now, there are already some pilots going on in Scotland.

"It will depend on how people react to it.

"With an increase in the number of people suffering from chronic conditions, people are going to have to take more ownership over their own healthcare.

"With anything like this obviously security is a paramount concern.

"It's very easily traceable if there is a misuse of the system. In the past people have turned up for appointments and their records haven't turned up with them."

The new centre was officially launched yesterday by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Shona Robison.

She said: "This Government has consistently demonstrated our commitment to exploring how technology can better support the delivery of healthcare services in our NHS.

"Technology has the potential to transform the way we deliver services, providing more patient-centred care and making more effective use of precious staff time.

"Exploring this potential is vital if our NHS is to meet the challenges of today and of the future."