The NHS in England has introduced the NHS Care Records Service to improve the way it cares for patients. Every patient has an NHS Care Record that is made up to two parts: the Summary Care Record and Detailed Records.
Your Summary Care Record (SCR) which is available to healthcare staff providing you with NHS care anywhere in England. At first it will contain key health information such as details of allergies, current prescriptions and reactions to medicines. After that each time you use any NHS health service, details about any current health problems, summaries of your care and the professionals treating you may be added to your SCR. Your SCR will be of most benefit if you need health care in an emergency or if you are away from home in England and need treatment.
In order for staff to look at your SCR you are being asked for your permission. If the healthcare worker treating you is not able to ask for your permission (for example, if you were unconscious or unable to answer questions) they can access your record in your best interests.
If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16, then you should make this information available to them if you feel they are old enough to understand.
It is intended that SCR's will be phased in for patients over the next few years, starting this year, but this information is being given to you now, to inform you and explain that you have choices.
The NHS believes that Summary Care Records will improve the quality and safety of your care, however, if you do not want to have a Summary Care Record, please contact the surgery and complete an 'opt out' form. A copy of this form is also available on the NHS Central Lancashire Website (address below), which you can then hand in to the surgery. If we do not hear from you a Summary Care Record will be created.
Your Detailed Records will be available to NHS staff treating you and will contain the same sort of information the NHS currently hold about you. The difference is the way that the information is shared between NHS organisations because it will be done so electronically and the staff involved in your care will have access to the information they need to treat you, when and where it is needed.
If you have any other questions, please contact NHS Care Records Line on 0845 603 8510.
Care Data
Information about you and the care you receive is shared, in a secure system, by healthcare staff to support your treatment and care.
It is important that we, the NHS, can use this information to plan and improve services for all patients. We would like to link information from all the different places where you receive care, such as your GP, hospital and community service, to help us provide a full picture. This will allow us to compare the care you received in one area against the care you received in another, so we can see what has worked best.
Information such as your postcode and NHS number, but not your name, will be used to link your records in a secure system, so your identity is protected. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning health services, to make sure we provide the best care possible for everyone.
You have a choice. If you are happy for your information to be used in this way you do not have to do anything. If you have any concerns or wish to prevent this from happening, please speak to practice staff or download a copy of the leaflet “How information about you helps us to provide better care”. below
We need to make sure that you know this is happening and the choices you have.
You can find out more on the NHS England Care Data website