Summary care records
The NHS in Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole has introduced a new system for managing your patient record. This means that a brief summary of important information (Summary Care Record) is available to healthcare professionals directly involved in treating you. The new NHS summary care records will be provided for every resident who would like one. We believe they will improve patient safety and clinical care. There will be important safeguards about consent and confidentiality. You can also choose not to have one – tell your GP or use the opt-out form.
What is the NHS summary care record?
Having an NHS summary care record means that any doctor or clinician who is treating you will be able to look at a secure, electronic system and see the following details:
- what medicines you are taking
- any allergies you have
- whether you have had bad reactions to any medicines
This information can be vitally important, especially in an emergency.
The summary care record will not replace your normal health records, and will not contain a full medical history. The summary care record means that if you have an accident, become unwell when you are away from home, or need treatment out of normal hours, then the healthcare staff treating you will have immediate access to important information about you.
We believe this will help make your care safer and better.
Over time, health professionals treating you may with your specific consent add further details about any health problems and summaries of your care.
What do I need to do to have an NHS summary care record?
You don’t need to do anything.
We have sent a summary care record information pack to the majority of residents aged 16 and over in Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole. The information pack had more details about the summary care record and the choices available to you – including how to opt out. If you have not yet received a pack it means we are still working with your GP practice to implement the records.
Around 75% of patients already have Summary Care records and over the next year, we will be creating the summary care records for the remaining patients who have not opted out. If you decide at a later date that you do not want one, then the information in your record will be "covered" and will no longer be accessible. Equally, if you decide now that you will opt out, you can still change your mind later.
Do I have to have an NHS summary care record?
No. If you do not want us to create a record for you, you can just inform your GP. Alternatively, you can fill out the opt-out form and return it to your GP practice
Can I get my record removed at any time?
If you decide to have a summary care record, you can change your mind in future and ask for the data to be no longer visible to healthcare professionals. However, we need to make clear that, unless there are exceptional circumstances, the information itself will remain on the system, even though it cannot be accessed.
Children under the age of 16
If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 then you can decide, with your child if they are old enough, whether they will have a summary care record. Again, if you do not opt out, a summary care record will be created.
How to find out more
Further information and advice about the NHS summary care record is available by:
- Phoning: 0300 123 3020
- Visiting the NHS Summary Care Website at: www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk/summary
- Click here to view the information leaflet
Other languages and formats
Details of the NHS summary care record is available in a range of languages and formats, click here or call 0300 123 3020 and the information will be posted to you.
The formats available include: Braille, large print, audio CD, Gujarati, Urdu, Mandarin, Polish, French, Farsi, Spanish, easy read picture version.
If English is not your first language, the NHS Care Records Service Information Line provides a confidential interpreter in many languages. To use the interpreter service please call 0300 123 3020. When the call is answered, say which language you would like to use.
