Summary Care Record


Welcome to the Summary Care Record home page. Here you will find information about the Summary Care Record, details of its deployment, benefits and links to more information.

Overview

As part of a national programme, NHS Lambeth will be creating summary care records for all patients registered with a Lambeth GP.

The Summary Care Record (SCR) programme intends to improve the quality and safety of your care through better management of health records.

What is a summary care record?

The SCR is an electronic summary of your key health information. It will contain important information such as any medication you are taking, details of allergies and any bad reactions to prescribed medicines you have had in the past. In the future, every time you use an NHS services, information may be added to your summary care record.

Why do we need this new system?

We want to provide you with better quality care. Presently separate records are kept about you in all of the places that you have received treatment. Information from these records can be shared, but only on request via letter, email, fax or phone. The SCR will give healthcare professionals faster and easier access to reliable information.

How are my medical records stored and managed now and what will change with SCR?

There are no fundamental differences in how your health records are now stored and managed. The main changes involve what is stored, how available your record is, access and security.

Content
At present all information in your medical record can be shared if it is required by a healthcare professional.

With SCR:

  • Only a summary of your record will be available to be shared.
  • Initially medications, adverse reactions and allergies will be uploaded from GP records.
  • At a later stage, significant medical information may be added to my SCR every time I receive care.
  • This significant medical information is only added after your healthcare professional discusses it with you.
  • You can have your SCR deleted as long as it has not been used to provide care.
  • You can make your SCR inaccessible if it has been used to provide care. It cannot be deleted because the record may be required for any legal disputes about your care.

Availability
At present sharing details from your medical record takes a long time because they need to be faxed, posted or emailed and information can be lost along the way.

With SCR:

  • Information is available immediately because it is stored centrally and accessible across England.

Access
At present anyone who works for the NHS in a clinical capacity can potentially see your record.

With SCR:

  • NHS staff must have a smartcard to access your SCR. Smartcards are similar to chip and pin bank cards. They are needed to access many health systems online. Healthcare professionals need to apply for a smartcard and they undergo a vetting process. Access to clinical systems is given based on the job role the healthcare professional will perform. This information is held on the smartcard.
  • Staff must register for a smartcard and access is given based on job role.
  • Staff must have a legitimate relationship with you.
  • Staff will only be able to see as much information for them to care for you.
  • Staff must ask for your permission to view your SCR.
  • All access to your record is tracked and audited. Unusual usage is flagged.

Security
At present some paper records are kept in locked filing cabinets and electronic records are stored on servers.

With SCR:

  • Your medical record is stored on a national central server with robust backup solutions.
  • NHS computers connect to your medical record over a secure network (N3 network).
  • Mobile devices are all encrypted.
  • Smartcards with chip and passcode are used for access.
  • Professional and contractual controls. Healthcare professionals have a duty of care to their patients, part of which is keeping their patients’ records safe.
How will I benefit?
  • You will not have to remember all your medication and allergy information because it will already be stored in your SCR. This means that you and your healthcare provider can be confident that the information is accurate.
  • Summary care records are available to many of the healthcare professionals in England involved in your care. If you are away from home or need emergency treatment, the healthcare professional treating you will have access to your summary care record. This means that they may not need to contact your GP for medical information. The SCR will enable healthcare providers to share information using the SCR and this will reduce delays in treatment.
  • Your care plan can be included in your SCR so all healthcare professionals involved in your care have a single point of reference.
  • All summary care records are stored in a central location. Only healthcare professionals who are involved in your care and have been authorised by you will have access to the SCR. Healthcare professionals will ask you for your permission* every time they need to look at your SCR. They will only see the information they need to do their job and their details will be recorded on your SCR too. Since SCRs can be seen by all authorised healthcare professionals there is no longer a need to share paper copies of this information. There are fewer risks of records being lost and patient confidentiality is still maintained.
  • Once fully implemented in Lambeth, you may be able to register with HealthSpace - an online system which will allow you to see your own SCR. In the future, you may be able to add some detail such as personal information or end of life requirements. This will give you greater control over your health and wellbeing.
How will healthcare professionals benefit?
  • Increased clinical confidence because access to the information contained in the SCR can affirm or add detail to their decision. With more information on which to base their decision, they can refer you to the most appropriate care services.
  • Information can be accessed from the SCR 24 hours a day. This availability and speed reduces the wait for information from other clinicians. The SCR doesn’t stop healthcare professionals from consulting with each other. It is there to assist.
  • Some patients may not speak English. This communication gap can cause delays and frustration in treatment. Having access to information through SCR reduces any inequalities between these patients and those more able to communicate their condition. This benefit means they can make clinical decisions in a more timely and informed manner.
What must I do to not have my SCR created?
  • If you want to share your key health information with healthcare professionals, do nothing when you receive your letter. An SCR will be automatically created for you.
  • If you do not want an SCR created, please send a completed "opt-out" form to your GP for their records. You can download the "opt-out" form as a PDF file by clicking here – post or fax it to your GP or you can complete an "opt-out" form at your GP practice and hand it in personally.
  • If you have previously opted out and you wish to change your mind, please complete an “opt-in” form and give it to your GP practice. You can download the “opt-in” form as a PDF file by clicking here – post or fax it to your GP. Alternately you can hand it in personally. Remember, the choice about SCR is yours and you can change your mind at any time.
What can I do to prepare for the SCR and where do I get more information?

Familiarise yourself with the SCR and what benefits it will give you. Read the SCR information that has been, or will be, posted to you. There are a number of places you can get additional SCR information.

  • You can visit your GP practice where SCR leaflets will be available from mid March 2010.
  • Call the NHS Care Records Service Information Line on 0845 603 8510 (charged).
  • Call the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 587 8078 (free from landlines).
  • Browse the rest of the SCR information on the NHS Lambeth website at www.lambeth.nhs.uk/scr
What’s next?

Before any SCRs are created we’ll send information to you telling you about the programme and your options. This will be posted to you in April 2010. You will then have a minimum of 12 weeks to look at the information and decide whether or not to have an SCR.

Note:
* ³ As it is now there are instances in which access to your record may be without your permission. These are in clinical emergency; access required by statute, including subject access requests made under the Data Protection Act 1998; and access required by Court Order. For a full list of when we might access your records without your permission, see the National Information Governance Board publication, The NHS Care Record Guarantee (http://www.nigb.nhs.uk/guarantee/2009-nhs-crg.pdf)

Documents
Links
SCR opt out form (PDF file) SCR opt back in form (PDF file) NHS Care Records Service website