Information about your healthcare may not be routinely shared across different healthcare organisations and systems. You may need to be treated by healthcare professionals that do not know your medical history. Essential details about your healthcare can be difficult to remember, particularly when you are unwell or have complex care needs.
Having a summary care record can help by providing healthcare staff treating you with vital information from your health record. This will help the staff involved in your care make better and safer decisions about how best to treat you.
You have the choice of what information you would like to share and with whom. Authorised healthcare staff can only view your record with your permission. The information shared will solely be used for the benefit of your care.
Your options are:
- a basic summary care record, expressing consent for medication, allergies and adverse reactions only
- an enhanced summary care record, expressing consent for medication, allergies, adverse reactions and additional information. The additional information includes your significant illnesses and health problems, operations and vaccinations you have had in the past, how you would like to be treated (such as where you would prefer to receive care), what support you might need and who should be contacted for more information about you
- to opt out of the summary care record, meaning you do not want any information shared with other healthcare professionals involved in your care.
You can find out more about the NHS summary care record on the NHS digital website, phone NHS Digital on 0300 303 5678 or contact us.