Summary Care Records (Additional Information)
The summary care record (SCR), is a basic snapshot of medical information created from your GP record and includes details such as the medication you are on and any allergies you have.
It can be accessed by health professionals treating you in an emergency or out-of-hours setting.
However, you can give permission for more information to be added to your SCR, such as the reasons you are taking certain medication, any diseases you might have and your end of life care preferences.
Across Suffolk, around 133,000 people have now consented for this potentially lifesaving additional information to be added to their SCR.
We know many people assume that this kind of record-sharing happens automatically.
It doesn’t – but by completing a simple opt-in form and returning it to your GP practice, you can agree to your health information being shared.
It is important to note that this information would only ever be accessed by a health or social care professional directly involved in your care, and only if deemed medically appropriate.
More information on the Summary Care Record can be found here: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr/
PLEASE NOTE: The NHS West Suffolk CCG has commissioned a company called Docmail to write to patients registered with selected GP practices who have agreed to share their basic SCR seeking their consent to share the additional information outlined above.
This is to remove the burden of carrying out this time-consuming administrative task from hard working practice staff.
Docmail is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, has all the necessary certification to carry out this work on behalf of the NHS, and is based at its own premises in the UK.
The only information being sent to Docmail is the patient’s name, NHS number and address. This data is accessible to authorised members of Docmail staff only, according to their job role and for the purposes of carrying out this work on behalf of the GP surgery.