Summary Care Records (SCR) are an electronic record of important patient information, created from GP medical records. They can be seen and used by authorised staff in other areas of the health and care system involved in your direct care.

Your patient record is held securely and confidentially on the electronic system at your GP practice. If you require treatment in another NHS healthcare setting, such as an Emergency Department or Minor Injury Unit, those treating you can look up important information in your Summary Care Record.

The information will be used only by authorised health care professionals directly involved in your care. Your permission will be asked before the information is accessed, unless the clinician is unable to ask you and there is a clinical reason for access. For example, this might happen if you are unconscious and the clinician needs to make a decision about how to treat you.

What is in my Summary Care Record?

• Allergies and bad reactions to medication
• Current and recent medication
• Your name, address, date of birth, and NHS number

Unless you opt out from including additional information, it will also include:

• Your major health conditions
• The reason for your medication (e.g. inhalers prescribed because you have asthma)
• Immunisations
• Care plan information, if you are seriously unwell or have long term conditions with care plans recorded

Why would another healthcare professional need to look at my Summary Care Record?

They might for example:

• check if you are allergic to penicillin before giving you antibiotics
• check your current medication list before giving you a new medication that could interact
• check if you have expressed a preference about how you would like to be treated

It is your choice to have a Summary Care Record

By default, everyone has a Summary Care Record in England. If you would like to opt out, please ask reception for our opt out form.

A parent or guardian can request to opt out children under 16 but ultimately it is the GP’s decision whether to create the records or not, because of their duty of care to the child. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 and feel that they are able to understand, then you should make this information available to them.

You can also request that you only have a basic Summary Care Record, without additional information. Please ask for an opt out form if you would like to do this.