This page is a printable version of: http://www.westessexccg.nhs.uk/Your NHS/summary-care-records.htm
Date: 23 May 2013

Your NHS

Summary care records

Summary Care Records

As of 23rd May 2012, 18 West Essex GP practices have uploaded Summary Care Records to the national spine, creating more than 138,000 records – 48% of the total for West Essex.

About the Summary Care Record

The Summary Care Record is an electronic record of important information about your health. It will be available to healthcare staff providing your NHS care in England. This means that if you have an accident or become ill and need urgent treatment when away from home or outside your normal doctor's surgery times, the clinicians treating you can have immediate access to important information about you.

Clinicians having access to your health information is not new. What’s different about the Summary Care Record is that it is immediately and securely available to the clinician who is treating you. There is no wait for records to be posted or faxed and strict security measures will be in place to protect your information.
Your Summary Care Record will have information about:

Your current medications
Your allergies
Your bad reactions to medicines – if any

Over time, with your agreement, you and your GP can add further important health information to your record.

Next steps and how to find out more

If you were registered with a West Essex GP practice in spring 2010 an information pack will have been sent to your address containing information about the Summary Care record. The latest information is contained in this new Summary Care Record leaflet.

Find out when your Summary Care Record will be created

You can find out more by contacting:

The NHS Care Records Service information line 0300 123 3020 and website www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk

Opting out

If you do not wish to have a Summary Care Record you can opt out by downloading and completing this form and returning it to your GP practice. Whatever you decide you can change your mind at any time.

Children

Children under 16 will not receive a letter. They will automatically have a Summary Care Record created for them. If you are the parent or guardian and do not want a record created for your child then please tell the child’s GP. If you feel that your child is old enough to make their own decision about whether or not to have a Summary Care Record, please show them your letter.