NHS Summary Care Records to be made available to all patients in Bury

Date published: 24 January 2012

Patients in Bury who need emergency care will be able to ensure that healthcare staff have quicker, easier access to important information about them.

The NHS Summary Care Record, which has been introduced in the area over the past couple of years contains key health information about a patient’s medication, allergies and any previous bad reactions to medicines. This information can make all the difference to ensuring safe treatment in an emergency when no other information is available, for example, when a patient’s GP practice is closed.

So far, 26 practices have created over 130,000 records. On Monday 23rd January, a further 30,000 patients will be given the chance to take part when patients of the final seven practices will receive a letter explaining their options.

Patients have the right to opt out of having a Summary Care Record and can do so easily by filling out an opt form, which is included in the letter being sent to them, using the freepost business reply service.

Safeguards for patients who do decide to have a record include healthcare staff having to ask their permission before a record can be viewed. Access is restricted to staff with a chip-and-pin NHS smartcard who are involved in a patient’s treatment. Unlike paper records, an audit trail is generated when a record is viewed. No other information will be added to a record without the patient's explicit consent.

John Boyington CBE, Managing Director for NHS Bury said: “I am pleased that all patients in Bury will soon be given the opportunity to benefit from having a Summary Care Record. Many patients in the area have had a Summary Care Record for some time and the feedback from clinicians and patients has been very positive.”

“By making information about medicines and allergies available to staff we can avoid adding to the stress of patients who are asked to remember these details when they need urgent care. The information held in Summary Care Records is potentially lifesaving and will help to improve patient care in Bury.”