There is a Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). The Summary Care Record is designed to assist doctors and nurses care for you by providing essential medical information about you.
Initially, it will only contain your medication and allergies.
Staff who work in the NHS can access the SCR. It may also contain your medical summary, information from hospitals, out of hours services, and letters from specialists.
Your information will be extracted from practices such as ours and held on central NHS databases.
As with all systems, there are pros and cons to think about.
When you speak to an emergency doctor you may overlook something that is important, however, if they have access to your medical record this might be avoided.
You should be asked to give your consent each time a member of NHS Staff wishes to access your record unless you are medically unable to do so.
You may have strong views about sharing your personal information and wish to keep your information only at the level of your GP practice.
Connecting for Health (CfH), the government agency responsible for the Summary Care Record has agreed with doctors’ leaders that new patients registering with a practice should be able to decide whether or not their information is uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System.
For existing patients, it is assumed that you consent for your record to be uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System unless you actively opt-out.
For further information visit the HSCIC Website.
If you choose to opt-out of the scheme, then you will need to complete an opt-out form and bring it along to the surgery. For a copy of the opt-out form please see the ‘Our Documents’ page in our website.
Fed up of Repeating Yourself?
If you or someone you care for is in contact with a number of different health professionals then it might benefit you, or the person you support, to have additional information added to your/their SCR.
It is quick and easy to do and will allow authorized health staff in hospitals, community teams, and the ambulance service to see much more information about you, information that is only currently stored and only seen by your GP.
Currently, everyone registered with a GP practice has a Summary Care Record. This provides all authorized health professionals with basic information on any medication you may take and if you have any allergies.
By consenting to add additional information to this record NHS professionals will be able to see much more about you including :
- Any long term conditions;
- Relevant medical history;
- Why you need a particular medicine;
- Your health preferences;
- Your personal preferences such as any legal decisions you may have made.
How to add Additional Information to Your SCR
Complete a form – available at the surgery or speak to reception.
Only authorized NHS staff can access this information. They will only access the information when it is important and necessary to do so.
What About Sensitive Information?
Specific sensitive information such as any fertility treatments, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy terminations, or gender reassignment will not be included unless you specifically ask for these items to be included.
What if someone you know is unable to do this for themselves? You can consent on someone’s behalf if you have the legal authority to do so. If not you can contact reception and discuss making a request to their GP who can make the decision on their behalf.
For more details visit https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr/summary-care-records-scr-information-for-patients.
Shared Care Record to ensure better, safer care
The new shared care record system combines all your health information from different organisations involved in your health care, such as GP practices, hospitals, ambulance and social care services.
This enables health professionals to easily view your records and see all details of the care and treatment you’ve received, so you receive better, safer care.
If you DO NOT want you records to be available to view through the Shared Care Record, you can let us know via the website address below
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: https://herefordshireandworcestershireccg.nhs.uk/health-services/shared-care-record