NHS Summary Care Record
The Summary Care Record (SCR) is a secure electronic summary of a patient's key health information that will be available to authorised healthcare staff treating them in the NHS across England.
It will initially have information about your medications, any allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you experience. Over time it will build to include information about any health issues your GP considers important to your wellbeing.
The Summary Care Record will play an important role in improving the quality of healthcare delivered to patients in the NHS, especially in urgent and unscheduled care situations where often little or no patient information would be available to guide health care professionals. Healthcare staff will only be permitted to access information if they are involved in your treatment, with access to your record being controlled by strict security measures.
If you are registered with a GP Practice you will have received an information pack (if you were aged 15 years 6 months and over on 25 January 2010) consisting of:
- A letter explaining the Summary Care Record and details on where to access further information
- A Summary Care Record leaflet.
Patients under 16 years will not receive this letter but will have a Summary Care Record created for them unless their GP surgery is advised otherwise. GP Practices will create Summary Care Records at different times over the next 12 months. If we do not hear from patients by 4th June 2010, it will be assumed they are happy to have a Summary Care Record and the process of creating a record for them will begin. Patients do not have to have a Summary Care Record. They may opt out by letting us know in writing or in person. An opt out form is available at the Surgery or on:
http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/systemsandservices/scr/staff/aboutscr/comms/pip/noscr.pdf
Further information can be found on the SCR website at:
http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/systemsandservices/scr/staff
There is also a dedicated NHS Care Records Service information line on 0845 603 8510. The local PALS service on either 01502 719501 or gyw-pct.PALS@nhs.net will also be pleased to help.