INTRODUCTION TO SUMMARY CARE RECORDS (SCR)
The NHS in England is now using an electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR), which is being used to support patient care.
All the settings where you receive health care keep their own medical records about you. These places can often only share information from your records by letter, fax or phone. At times, this can delay information sharing and this can impact decision making and slow down treatment.
The Summary Care Record is a copy of key information held in your GP record. It provides authorised healthcare staff with faster, secure access to essential information about you – when you need unplanned care or when your GP practice is closed. The availability of Summary Care records will improve the safety and quality of your care.
ABOUT YOUR SUMMARY CARE RECORD
Your SCR contains important information about any medicines you are taking, any allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you have previously experiences.
Allowing authorised healthcare staff to have access to this information will improve decision making by doctors and other healthcare professionals and has prevented mistakes being made when patients are being cared for in an emergency or when their GP practice is closed.
Your SCR also includes your name, address, date of birth and your unique NHS number to help identify you corrently.
For more information about Summary Care Records you can
– talk to the staff at your GP Practice
– visit www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk
– phone the Health and Social Care Information Centre on 0300 303 5678.
HOW DOES THE NHS PROTECT MY CONFIDENTIALITY
By law, everyone working for the NHS in England (or on their behalf) must respect your confidentiality and keep all information about you secure. The NHS Care Record Guarantee for England specifies how the NHS will collect, store and allow access to your electronic records. It details your choices for how your information is stored and viewed.
The NHS care Record Guarantee is available online at
http://systems.hscic.gov.uk/scr/intro
WHAT ARE MY CHOICES
You can choose to have an SCR or you can choose to opt out.
If you choose to have a SCR and are registered with a GP Practice, you do not need to do anything as a Summary Care Record is created for you.
If you choose to opt out of having a SCR you need to let the Practice know by filling in and returning an opt-out form. Opt-out forms are available from your GP Practice or online at
http://systems.hscic.gov.uk/scr/library/optout.pdf
