Patient Record

If you are registered with a GP practice in England, you will automatically have a Summary Care Record (SCR) unless you have previously chosen to opt out. Your SCR contains key information about your health, including:

• 💊 Medicines you are taking
• 🌱 Any allergies you have
• ⚠️ Adverse reactions you may have experienced to medicines

In situations where healthcare professionals unfamiliar with your medical history need to treat you, recalling essential details can be challenging, particularly during illness or when you have complex needs. Your SCR ensures this vital information is readily available, helping to improve the quality of care you receive.

Enhanced Summary Care Record
You can also opt to include additional information in your SCR, which can further enhance the care provided. This additional information may include:

• 🩺 Details of your medical conditions and health issues
• 💉 Records of past operations and vaccinations
• 🏥 Your preferences for care, such as preferred treatment settings
• 🤝 Any specific support you require
• 📞 Contact details of individuals who can provide more information about you

Your SCR gives you full control over what information is shared and with whom. Authorised healthcare professionals can only access your SCR with your explicit permission, ensuring your information is securely and responsibly handled.

Why Keep Your SCR?
We strongly encourage you not to opt out of having an SCR. The safeguards in place ensure your information is protected, and the benefits of having an SCR in emergency or urgent care situations can be invaluable.

If you wish to include additional information in your SCR or would like to discuss opting out, please contact our reception team, who will be happy to assist you.

Use this service to easily find your NHS number! 🏥✨

Your NHS number is a unique 10-digit code, such as 485 777 3456. 📋

While it’s not essential to know your NHS number to access NHS services, having it on hand can be incredibly helpful. ✅

🔍 Find your NHS number online today!

The NHS is committed to improving how you access your personal health information online. We know having quick, easy access to your health records is important to you. Viewing test results sooner and revisiting appointment notes at your convenience can make a big difference in managing your health.

What’s Changing?
If you’re 16 or older and have an online account (such as the NHS App, NHS website, or another approved primary care service), you will now automatically have access to all future notes and records from your GP.

Key Features of This Update:

• View appointment notes, test results, and letters saved to your records.
• Access records starting from 3rd May 2023 onwards.
• Enjoy automatic updates – no action required for most people.

Things to Keep in Mind
Your GP may discuss sensitive information with you before it becomes visible online to ensure the process is helpful for you. If you have any concerns about accessing certain details, your GP can help address them.

💡 Important: These changes only apply to GP records, not hospital or specialist records.

Don’t Have an Online Account?
No problem! You can still access your records by requesting them through reception.

If you’re a carer and need access to someone else’s records, speak with reception staff for assistance.

Protecting Your Privacy 🔒
Your personal health information is secure. Only you can access your records via your login. Keep your login details private, and never share your password.

If you decide you don’t want access to your records or need more information, contact your GP or reception staff for support.

Subject Access Requests (SAR)
Under GDPR, you have the legal right to request a copy of the information we hold about you – this is called a Subject Access Request.

Here’s How It Works:

1. Complete a Subject Access Request Form and return it to the practice.
2. Requests are processed within 1 month.
3. Your first request is free! For subsequent or excessive requests, charges may apply.

The NHS is here to empower you with better access to your health. If you have any questions, reach out to your GP practice for guidance. 💙

Your Individual Care 🩺

Health and care staff may access your confidential patient information to provide the best possible treatment and care. For instance, when you visit the surgery, we may review your records to ensure we have vital details about your health. 📋

Increasingly, patient medical data is securely shared between healthcare providers—such as between GP surgeries and District Nursing teams—to give clinicians the most up-to-date information when attending to patients. 🔄

Our systems are designed to ensure any sharing of medical information is done with your consent. Patients must:

• Agree to share their data with other healthcare providers. ✅
• Specify which providers are allowed to access their information. 🛑

This ensures that access to your data is fully under your control and shared only on a ‘need to know’ basis. 🔒

Research and Planning 🔬

Your confidential patient information may also be used to:

• Plan and improve health and care services. 📈
• Research and develop cures for serious illnesses. 💡

NHS Digital, the national provider of data analysis for the NHS, has a legal responsibility to collect data about NHS and social care services. 📊

Since the NHS cannot analyse all this information alone, we safely and securely share some data with researchers, analysts, and expert organisations. These groups specialise in understanding complex data to support health advancements. Importantly:

• Only the minimum necessary information is shared for each project.
• Wherever possible, data is anonymised to ensure you cannot be identified. 🛡️

Your Choice 🤝

You have the right to decide how your confidential patient information is used.

• If you do not want your data used for research and planning, you can opt out. Learn how to make your choice.
• If you’re happy with your data being used, no action is needed.

Rest assured, any choice you make will not affect your individual care. 🏥

Your privacy and control matter to us. 

Lancashire and South Cumbria has been chosen by NHS England to be a national pilot for the digitisation of Medical Records.  For more information please see the attached document:

DPIA Notification for Patients