Summary Care Records

Summary Care Records (SCR)

The NHS is changing how patient information is stored and shared in England, to provide better care for patients. SCRs provide healthcare staff treating patients in an emergency or out-of-hours with faster access to key clinical information.

Patients and the Summary Care Record

The NHS in England is using an electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR) to support patient care.

The Summary Care Record is a copy of key information from your GP record. It provides authorised healthcare staff with faster, secure access to essential information about you when you need unplanned care or when your GP practice is closed.

Summary Care Records improve the safety and quality of your care.

Where can I get more information?

For more information about Summary Care Records you can

• talk to the staff at your GP practice
• phone the Health and Social Care Information Centre on 0300 303 5678.
• Read the SCR patient leaflet (PDF, 870KB) and the SCR factsheet (PDF, 276KB)

SCR Opt outs

Patients can choose not to have a SCR at any time, even after the record has been created. If a patient chooses not to have a SCR, then they must complete an SCR opt out form, CLICK HERE (PDF, 210KB). If the patient chooses to opt out of having a record, then their SCR will no longer be able to be accessed by healthcare professionals.