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Health records

What is a Summary Care Record (SCR)?

Each time you engage with an NHS service in the UK, be it with a GP, a hospital or a dental practice, a record is made of that engagement.

This record will include information such as:

  • treatments issued to you
  • treatments you are already taking
  • medical conditions
  • allergies
  • information on medicines that might cause you to have a reaction
  • test and scan results
  • notes made by your doctor
  • hospital reports
  • or personal data such as your name and address

Ideally, a doctor or healthcare professional should be able to access this information when you consult with them, so that they can make an informed decision when giving you advice or treatment.

The NHS keeps an electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR) which stores this information. It enables your health info to be shared more efficiently between different practices and hospitals, so that doctors can be better informed about the patients they are treating. A Summary Care Record includes information such as your:

  • name
  • address
  • date of birth
  • allergies
  • current medicines
  • and details on any medicines you can’t take

You can access and download your Summary Care Record yourself. You can find more information on how to do this here.

When you consult with us, you can upload your Summary Care Record for our clinicians to see or give them consent to access and view it. This data is kept secure, and handled in accordance with data protection regulations.

Why should I grant access to my SCR?

To help them provide the best possible treatment, our clinicians will sometimes ask if they can access your SCR, so that they see your health information and get a better picture of what’s right for you. This is an essential requirement for some treatments – in certain cases for example, we need to know that you’re already taking a treatment on the recommendation of a doctor. The SCR helps our clinicians to confirm this.

How will my SCR be used?

We will only access your SCR when you give us permission to do so. Even if you grant us access, we will only access your SCR when we need to, in order to make sure your care is safe and appropriate. We will only access the parts of your SCR that are relevant to the care we’re providing. No-one except the clinical staff involved in your care will be able to access your information. Your SCR will show who has accessed it and when. It is important to note that you can change your mind about sharing the information in your SCR at any time.

Do I need to inform my GP?

We also encourage everyone to share any information about treatment they have received from us with their regular GP or primary care physician. This helps to make sure that the doctors you consult with are kept informed about the treatment you have received, and will help to instruct any decisions they have to make regarding your treatment in future.

If you need any more info on sharing your health records with us, get in touch.

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