Summary care records

The NHS summary care record is being introduced to help deliver better, safer care. Your summary care record is an electronic record of important information about your health. It will be available to healthcare staff 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 options

I am happy to have a summary care record

I am unsure, or do not want a summary care record

You could have a summary care record, but limit the information that healthcare staff can access. You can discuss with your GP exactly what information is and isn't shared through your summary care record. It would be misleading to pretend that there are no risks to information held in the summary care record. But it is also misleading to suggest that not having such a record is risk free.

Substantial work is taking place to modernise the NHS, including the introduction of the summary care record, in order to reduce errors, save lives and improve health outcomes for a great many people.

Modernising and computerising the NHS also brings with it new safeguards to ensure that information in your record is held more securely than in the past.
You should find out what the implications are of choosing not to have a summary care record by reading the leaflet 'What happens if I choose not to have a summary care record?' (PDF, 40Kb). This leaflet contains further information a form to enable you to opt out if this is your preference.

Whatever you decide, the NHS will do its best to provide you with safe, efficient care.

What if I change my mind?

If you decide not to have a summary care record but then change your mind, we can still create one for you. If you decide you would like to have a summary care record at a later date please contact your GP surgery.

If you decide after we have created your summary care record that you do not want it, we will 'hide' your record to make sure that health-care staff who try to access it will not be able to see it.  We will only make your record available again if whoever wants to see it asks in writing and if an investigation has found it is necessary. It is possible to apply to have your record deleted rather than hidden, but that will be difficult if the record has already been used to give you care.

Access of information

Healthcare staff who access your health records:

• must be directly involved in caring for you
• must have an NHS Smartcard with a chip and passcode (like a bank card and PIN)
• will only see the information they need to do their job
• will have their details recorded - who they are and if they have added or changed any of your information (you can ask to see this)
• will ask your permission every time they need to look at your summary care record.
• Only those authorised healthcare staff treating you in your local area will have access to your summary care record.
• All staff who are able to see patient information have a professional, ethical and legal responsibility to keep your details confidential and keep to the NHS confidentiality code of practice.

Further information

If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 then you should make this information available to them if you feel they are old enough to understand. There is a team of people that you can contact now if you have any questions or if you wish to discuss your options or concerns, on the following local telephone numbers:

(0116 295 7570) OR (0116 295 7555)

or you can email the team direct at cabfacilitators@leics.nhs.uk

For more information, you can also phone the dedicated NHS care records service information line on 0845 603 8510 or visit www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk