Summary Care Records

After a much longer pause than I had intended, I'm writing today's blog with a very specific purpose in mind. Some of you may remember that back in 2010 you received the letter about something called the Summary Care Record (SCR). This letter gave you information about what the summary care record was and allowed you the choice of registering your dissent with your general practitioner if you did not wish your medical information to be shared.

This practice along with others in Bromley, will be working towards introducing SCR in the next couple of months. My reason for writing is that you will not receive any further information about this other than what is displayed in the surgery. The powers that be feel that everyone had the opportunity in 2010 to register dissent and for most patients no further letters will be sent. Anyone who has turned 18 in the intervening three years will receive a letter and an opt out form. Any patients registering for the first time at the surgery will receive information and an opt out form.

Just to recap the SCR is intended to support patient care in urgent and emergency care settings. The SCR will store a defined set of key patient data for every patient in England (except those who elect not to have one). This data will make a summary record created from information held on GP clinical systems. A patient's SCR will contain key health information including details of allergies, current prescriptions and bad reactions to medicines. Your Summary Care Record will also include your name, address, date of birth and your unique NHS Number to help identify you correctly. It will not contain any information beyond this. This summary record will help in ensuring continuity of care across a variety of care settings such as the out of hours service and accident and emergency.

Staff with access to the SCR will ask patients if they can look at their SCR every time they need to. Not everyone involved in the patient's care will be able to see all of their records. The amount of information staff can see will depend on their job. NHS staff who do not need to see information about the patient's treatment will not be able to view it – for example, non clinical staff will not have access to clinical information unless it is necessary for them to do their job.

It is your choice whether you have an SCR. If you choose to have a Summary Care Record, you do not need to do anything, this will happen automatically.
If you don't want an SCR, you need to let us know at the practice by filling in and returning an opt out form. These will be available in reception for you to collect and complete. Opt-out forms are also available at www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk/options  and you can ask to be sent one by phoning the Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020.

For more information about Summary Care Records and your choices:
• phone the Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020;
• visit www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk.

Please remember, which ever way you decide you are always able to change your mind and let us know so that your current decision can be recorded and your choice honoured.

Having used this blog with a very specific message to communicate I hope in the forthcoming weeks to share some thoughts on the recent changes within the organisation of the NHS and what that means for us as a practice and you as our patients. A wise patient advised me to give it a little while before trying to write coherently about it and I am following their advice.