NHS Devon is introducing a new system for managing your patient record, so that a brief summary of important information is available to healthcare professionals directly involved in treating you. The new NHS summary care records will be provided for every Devon resident who would like one. We believe they will improve patient safety and clinical care. There will be important safeguards about consent and confidentiality. You can also choose not to have one – tell your GP or use the opt-out form.
(Summary Care Record Opt-out form).

What is the NHS summary care record?

Having an NHS summary care record means that any doctor or clinician who is treating you will be able to look at a secure, electronic system and see the following details: what medicines you are taking, any allergies you have, and whether you have had bad reactions to any medicines. This information can be vitally important, especially in an emergency.

The summary care record will not replace your normal health records, and will not contain a full medical history. The summary care record means that if you have an accident, become unwell when you are away from home, or need treatment out of normal hours, then the healthcare staff treating you will have immediate access to important information about you. We believe this will help make your care safer and better.

Over time, health professionals treating you may add details about any health problems and summaries of your care. Every time further information is added to your record, you will be asked if you agree.

You don’t need to do anything.

From March 2010 we sent a summary care record information pack to all residents aged 16 and over in Devon (excluding Torbay and Plymouth). The information pack had more details about the summary care record and the choices available to you – including how to opt out.

Over the next year or so, we will be creating these summary care records for everyone who has not opted out. If you decide at a later date that you do not want one, then the information in your record will be "covered" and will no longer be accessible. Equally, if you decide now that you will opt out, you can still change your mind later.

No. If you do not want us to create a record for you, you can just inform your GP. Alternatively, you can fill out the form at the bottom of this page and return it to your GP practice.

If you decide to have a summary care record, you can change your mind in future and ask for the data to be no longer visible to healthcare professionals. However, we need to make clear that, unless there are exceptional circumstances, the information itself will remain on the system, even though it cannot be accessed.

If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 then you can decide, with your child if they are old enough, whether they will have a summary care record. Again, if you do not opt out, a summary care record will be created.

     Summary Care Record Opt-out form

Further information and advice about the NHS summary care record is available by:

• Phoning: 0300 123 3020
• Visiting the NHS Summary Care Website at: www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk/summary
• Click here to view the information leaflet

Details of the NHS summary care record is available in a range of languages and formats, click here or call 0300 123 3020 and the information will be posted to you.

The formats available include: Braille, large print, audio CD, Gujarati, Urdu, Mandarin, Polish, French, Farsi, Spanish, easy read picture version.

If English is not your first language, the NHS Care Records Service Information Line provides a confidential interpreter in many languages. To use the interpreter service please call 0300 123 3020. When the call is answered, say which language you would like to use.