Summary Care Records: Questions and Answers

What is a Summary Care Record?

An NHS summary care record (SCR) is an electronic record of important information about a patient's health. It includes details of current prescriptions, any allergies and any bad reactions to medication that they may have had in the past.

Why is a Summary Care Record important?

An SCR will improve the safety and quality of your NHS care. It will give healthcare staff faster, easier access to reliable information about your health to help with your treatment.

Who will be able to see my health information?

A summary care record will be available to authorised healthcare staff providing your NHS care anywhere in England, but they will ask your permission before they use it. This means that if you have an accident or you become ill, the doctors treating you will have immediate access to important information about your health.

It's your choice...

Everyone has a choice whether to be part of the new system and can make the decision to opt out of the development if they wish. The leaflet gives information about how to do this.