NHS Summary Care Records (SCRs) are an electronic record of important patient information, created from GP medical records. They can be seen and used by authorised staff involved in a patient’s direct care, both within the Practice as well as in other areas of the healthcare system.

Your Summary Care Record

Care professionals in England use an electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR). This can provide those involved in your care with faster secure access to key information from your GP record.  

The information will be used only by authorised health care professionals directly involved in your care. The NHS have produced an information leaflet about the SCR, setting out which part of your record is extracted and how it is used to help other NHS organisations. You may download and view by following this link>>

What is an SCR?

If you are registered with a GP Practice in England, you will already have an 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 bad reactions to medicines

It also includes your name, address, date of birth and unique NHS Number which helps to identify you correctly.

What choices do you have?

You can now choose to include more information in your SCR, 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 SCR 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 SCR however, as a patient you have a choice:

• If you would like an SCR you do not need to do anything and an SCR will be created for you.
• If you do NOT want an SCR please download, print and complete the SCR Opt Out form by following this link>> and hand it in to the Practice.

Vulnerable patients and carers

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.

Who can see my SCR?

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.

SCRs for children

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.

Confidentiality

Find out more about how the NHS will collect, store and allow access to your electronic records by following this link>>.