National Summary Care Records

We are introducing National Summary Care Records to improve the safety and quality of patient care.

The Summary Care Record is an electronic record which will give healthcare staff faster, easier access to essential information about you, to help provide you with safe treatment when you need care in an emergency or when your GP practice is closed.

Summary Care Records are gradually being introduced across England.

Everybody can choose not to have a Summary Care Record − an opt out form is downloadable HERE

Healthcare staff will ask your permission every time they need to look at your Summary Care Record. If they cannot ask you, for example if you are unconscious, they may look at your record without asking you. If they have to do this, they will make a note on your record.

1. About your Summary Care Record

If you decide to have a Summary Care Record it will contain important information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you have had. Giving healthcare staff access to this information can prevent mistakes being made when caring for you in an emergency or when your GP practice is closed.

You may want to add other details about your care to your Summary Care Record. This will only happen if you ask for the information to be included. You should discuss your wishes with the healthcare staff treating you.

2. How will I benefit from having a Summary Care Record?

Healthcare staff will have quicker access to information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

This means they can provide you with safer care during an emergency, when your GP practice is closed, or when you are away from home in another part of England.

Cheshire Health Care Record

The Cheshire Health Record is a system designed to enable authorised doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to access a summary of your GP
patient record. This could happen in hospital or unplanned care settings such as Out of Hours centres.

More information and how you can opt out is available by downloading the 'What is the Cheshire Health Care Record?' leaflet HERE (pdf)