The NHS in England is introducing the Summary Care Record, which will be used in emergency care.
To ensure those caring for you have enough information to treat you safely, the record will contain information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Your Summary Care Record will be 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, the doctors treating you will have immediate access to important information about your health.
As a patient you have a choice:
Yes I would like a Summary Care Record – you do not need to do anything and a Summary Care Record will be created for you.
No I do not want a Summary Care Record – download the opt out form here. Please complete the form and hand it to a member of the GP practice staff.
If you need more time to make your choice you should let your GP Practice know.
Additional copies of the opt out form can be collected from the GP practice or requested from the dedicated NHS Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020.
You can choose not to have a Summary Care Record and you can change your mind at any time by informing your GP practice.
If you do nothing we will assume that you are happy with these changes and create a Summary Care Record for you. Children under 16 will automatically have a Summary Care Record created for them unless their parent or guardian chooses to opt them out. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 and feel that they are old enough to understand, then you should make this information available to them.
You can find out more by telephoning the dedicated NHS Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020.
Care.Data
How information about you helps us to provide better care
Confidential information from your medical records can be used by the NHS to improve the services offered so we can provide the best possible care for everyone.
This information along with your postcode and NHS number but not your name, are sent to a secure system where it can be linked with other health information.
This allows those planning NHS services or carrying out medical research to use information from different parts of the NHS in a way which does not identify you.
You have a choice. If you are happy for your information to be used in this way you do not have to do anything.
If you have any concerns or wish to prevent this from happening, please speak to practice staff or ask at reception for a copy of the leaflet “How information about you helps us to provide better care”.
More information can be found here
Care data patient information (PDF, 318KB)
Care data patient frequently asked questions (PDF, 163KB)