Summary Care Records (SCR)

Summary Care Records - new national benefits report now published

A review highlighting how the Summary Care Record| (SCR) is supporting better and safer patient care across the NHS has now been published. The report| demonstrates the important benefits of SCR use|.

Delivery of SCRs is a key priority for the NHS. The 2012 Operating Framework for the NHS in England sets a clear goal that patients who have been contacted about the SCR should have a record created by March 2013 at the latest.

So far 81 per cent of patients in west Kent have been sent a letter about the SCR, 50 per cent of records have been created and work is in progress to create SCRs for everyone else who wants one.

For further information about the Summary Care Record, please contact Sukh Singh email: Sukh.SINGH@kentcht.nhs.uk| or telephone: 01622 713017.

Summary Care Record

NHS West Kent has introduced a secure online emergency care records service to help deliver better, safer care. The service is known as Summary Care Record (SCR) and is gradually being introduced across the UK for patients registered at participating GP practices.

Your Summary Care Record is an electronic record of important information about your health. It will be available to health care staff anywhere in England providing your NHS care, which means if you have an accident or become ill, the clinicians treating you will have immediate access to important information about you.

Your SCR will contain important information about your health, such as details of any allergies, your current prescriptions and whether you have had any bad reactions to medicines.

You will have more control over who sees your SCR and can discuss what is being added and how sensitive information is handled as your details continually update.

During treatment, we will ask your permission if we need to look at information in your Summary Care Record. When this is not possible, for example in an emergency when you are unconscious, we will tell you later.

We are gradually introducing Summary Care Records across West Kent. You will receive a letter telling you about this, so that you have time to think about your options whether to have a SCR or not.

Your Summary Care Record options

I am happy to have a Summary Care Record (SCR)

If you are happy to have a SCR, you do not need to do anything and we will create a record for you.

I am unsure, or do not want a Summary Care Record (SCR)

You can choose not to have a SCR if you want to. If you choose not to have a SCR, your health records will stay as they are now and you will not receive the benefits of SCR.

You should find out what the implications are of choosing not to have a Summary Care Record (opt out) by re|ading the leaflet, which can be found at the right hand side of the screen.

If after reading this leaflet you still think that you do not want to have an SCR, you will need to fill out the form for opting out, which is inlcuded in the letter and within the downloadable documents to the right of the screen. Whatever you decide, the NHS will do its best to provide you with safe, efficient care whether or not you have a SCR.

HealthSpace

If you would like to view your Summary Care Record, this can be done through a secure website called HealthSpace.

To access the site, simply register for a basic account via www.healthspace.nhs.uk|, then complete your advanced account registration and prove your identity. To arrange a suitable date/time to complete your registration please e-mail wk-pct.SCR@nhs.net|, including information on which GP surgery you are registered with.

Please remember to take your printed application form and 3 types of identification with you when you attend. A list of suitable identity documents can be found at the end of your printed application form or at https://www.healthspace.nhs.uk/identityproof.aspx|.

Where can I find out more?

For more information about the NHS Summary Care Records Service contact:

The NHS Care Records Service Information Line on 0300 123 3020
NHS West Kent Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 0 850 850
The NHS West Kent Project Team at wk-pct.SCR@nhs.net|
The national website at http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk|