Tougher gun control to limit licences for those deemed medically unfit
It follows the shooting in Plymouth last year
Strengthened controls for licensed gun owners in England will aim to prevent anyone deemed medically unfit from owning a firearm.
A new system of digital markers will be applied to patient records, flagging if they have a firearms licence.
While it will only apply in England for now, the Government says that the digital marker will "streamline" the way GPs keep track of patients who have applied for, or been granted, a firearms' certificate.
The new system will see doctors automatically alerted if a relevant change in their medical situation is recorded - this could include a change in their mental health, a diagnosis of a neurological condition or evidence or drug or alcohol abuse.
The change will mean GPs can alert the police, who can then ensure that licensed gun holders who may no longer be fit to own a firearm are identified, their licence reviewed and potentially their firearm seized.
Minister for Crime, Policing and Probation, Kit Malthouse, said: "We have some of the strictest gun control laws in the world and we will not hesitate to bring in even stronger processes where we see the need for them.
"The imminent inquest into the tragic shootings in Sussex and impending first anniversary of the horrific shootings in Plymouth are a stark reminder of how much we owe it to the public to take these matters seriously.
"We are focused on making our streets safer and it is absolutely right that the police be told about changes in the medical circumstances of anyone licensed to own a gun.
"This move is yet another example of us giving the police the tools they require to protect the public."
The shooting in Plymouth on 12 August 2021 saw five people killed, before the gunman - 22-year-old Jake Davison - turned the firearm on himself.
The Home Office said that 98% of practices will be able to access the new system from this week.
NHS Digital CEO Simon Bolton said: "The addition of this marker to GP records is a prime example of how a digitally enabled healthcare service benefits patients and the public.
"This new system will also reduce the administrative burden for GPs, giving them more time to deliver care."