NHS Summary Care Record - Your emergency care summary
NHS in England is introducing a new electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR), which will be used to support your emergency care. The Summary Care Record is an electronic record which will give healthcare staff faster, easier access to essential information about your health, to help provide you with safe treatment when you need care in an emergency or when your GP practice is closed.
If you choose to have a Summary Care Record it will contain important information about any medicines you have been or are currently taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you had. Your permission will always be asked if anyone needs to look at information in your SCR, unless in an emergency when you are unable to give permission.
If you choose to have a Summary Care Record you do not need to do anything and one will be made for you.
If you do not want a Summary Care Record you can get an opt out form from Princes Park Health Centre or from the link below; once completed, return it to the practice and your existing health record will continue to be used as it is now. You can change your mind at any time.
What is a Summary Care Record?
Your Summary Care Record (SCR) is an electronic medical record that will be available to Clinicians providing you with care anywhere in England. For instance when you call an out of hour’s service or visit an Accident and Emergency Department. It will be based on some basic information in your GP Records
At first, your SCR will only contain important information about any allergies you have, your current prescriptions and whether you have had any bad reactions to medicines.
Your Summary Care Record options
I am happy to have a Summary Care Record (SCR)
If you are happy to have a SCR, you do not need to do anything and we will create a record for you.
I am unsure, or do not want a Summary Care Record (SCR)
Substantial work is taking place to modernise the NHS, including the introduction of the SCR, in order to reduce errors, save lives and improve health outcomes for a great many people.
Modernising and computerising the NHS also brings with it new safeguards to ensure that information in your record is held more securely than in the past.
However, you can choose not to have a SCR if you want to. If you choose not to have a SCR, your health records will stay as they are now.
You could have a SCR but limit the information that health-care staff can access. You can discuss with your GP exactly what information is and isn't shared through your SCR.
You should find out what the implications are of choosing not to have a Summary Care Record (opt out) by reading the leaflet 'What happens if I choose not to have a summary care record (SCR)?'.
If after reading this leaflet you still think that you do not want to have an SCR, it includes a form for opting out. This form must be returned to us, your GP Practice.
Whatever you decide, the NHS will do its best to provide you with safe, efficient care whether or not you have a SCR.
What if I change my mind?
Whatever you decide, you can change your mind at any time. If you decide not to have a SCR but then change your mind, we can still create one for you. If you decide after we have created your SCR that you do not want it, we will 'hide' your record to make sure that health-care staff who try to access it will not be able to see it.
We will only make your record available again if whoever wants to see it asks in writing and if an investigation has found it is necessary.
It is possible to apply to have your record deleted rather than hidden, but that will be difficult if the record has already been used to give you care.
Where can I find out more?
For more information about the NHS Summary Care Records Service:
If you have a question about the NHS Care Records Service (NHS CRS), please telephone the dedicated information line on 0300 123 3020.
Or visit the website www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk
The patient opt-out form for this service is available at the reception and in all new patient packs.
The patient leaflet on your summary care record can be requested from reception.