If you are registered with a GP practice in England you will already have a Summary Care Record (SCR), unless you have previously chosen not to have one.

It includes the following basic information:

• medicines you are taking
• allergies you suffer from
• any adverse reactions to medicines you have had in the past.
• It also includes your name, address, date of birth and unique NHS number which helps to identify you correctly.

Information about your healthcare may not be routinely shared across different healthcare organisations and systems. You may need to be treated by health and care professionals that do not know your medical history. Essential details about your healthcare can be difficult to remember, particularly when you are unwell or have complex care needs.

Having a Summary Care Record can help by providing healthcare staff treating you with vital information from your health record. This will help the staff involved in your care make better and safer decisions about how best to treat you.

You can now choose to include more information in your Summary Care Record, such as significant medical history (past and present), information about management of long term conditions, immunisations and patient preferences such as end of life care information, particular care needs and communication preferences.

Your Summary Care Record is available to authorised healthcare staff providing your care anywhere in England, but they will ask your permission before they look at it. This means that if you have an accident or become ill, healthcare staff treating you will have immediate access to important information about your health.

This Practice supports Summary Care Record however, as a patient you have a choice, Your options are outlined below

• Express consent for medication, allergies and adverse reactions only. You wish to share information about medication, allergies and adverse reactions only.
• Express consent for medication, allergies, adverse reactions and additional information. You wish to share information about medication, allergies and adverse reactions and further medical information that includes: Your significant illnesses and health problems, operations and vaccinations you have had in the past, how you would like to be treated (such as where you would prefer to receive care), what support you might need and who should be contacted for more information about you.
• Express dissent for Summary Care Record (opt out). Select this option, if you DO NOT want any information shared with other healthcare professionals involved in your care.

UPDATE YOUR SUMMARY CARE RECORD PREFERENCES

Remember, you can change your mind about your SCR at any time. Talk to our Practice if you want to discuss your option to add more information or decide you no longer want an SCR. If you do nothing we will assume you are happy for us to create a SCR for you.

Having an SCR that includes extra information can be of particular benefit to patients with detailed and complex health problems. If you are a carer for someone and believe that this may benefit them, you could discuss it with them and their GP Practice.

Only authorised, professional healthcare staff in England who are involved in your direct care can have access to your SCR. Your SCR will not be used for any other purposes.

These staff:

• Need to have a Smartcard with a chip and passcode
• Will only see the information they need to do their job
• Will have their details recorded every time they look at your record

Healthcare professionals will ask for your permission if they need to look at your SCR. If they cannot ask you because you are unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate, they may decide to look at your record because doing so is in your best interest. This access is recorded and checked to ensure that it is appropriate.

If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16, and feel they are able to understand this information you should show it to them. You can then support them to come to a decision about having an SCR and whether to include additional information. You may request to opt them out of SAR; any opt-out requests on behalf of children will be carefully considered.

For information on how the NHS will collect, store and allow access to your electronic records visit the NHS website.

To help the NHS to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there is currently a temporary change to the SCR that includes COVID-19 specific codes in relation to the suspected, confirmed, shielded patient list and other COVID-19 related information. This information is also retained in the additional information.