There is a national NHS healthcare records database provided and facilitated by NHS England, which holds your Summary Care Record (SCR). Your SCR is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had. Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP Practice is closed. This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Only healthcare staff involved in your care will access your Summary Care Record. When you are registered with a GP Practice in England your Summary Care Record is created automatically. It is not compulsory to have a Summary Care Record. If you choose to opt-out, you need to inform the Practice. For further information about SCR, visit the NHS England website.

Following the covid pandemic, a change has been made to the way Summary Care Records are made available, to enable health and care professionals to have better medical information about the patient they are treating at the point of care. If you have not previously expressed a preference about your SCR, both the core information set out above, and additional information below will be included in your SCR by default. 

The additional information includes:

·         significant medical history (past and present);

·         reason for medication;

·         anticipatory care information (such as information about the management of long-term conditions);

·         end of life care information;

·         information about your immunisations.

Specific sensitive information such as any fertility treatments, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy terminations or gender reassignment will not be included, unless you specifically ask for any of these items to be included.