Patients are asked to share medical records

PATIENTS are being urged to ask their GP Practice about sharing their medical records in order to assist emergency care and treatments more appropriately and quickly.

The majority of patients across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will already have a Summary Care Record which contains basic information such as recent medication, allergies and sensitivities.

Although this information is extremely helpful, if a patient requires emergency treatment or care out of normal GP hours, access to an enhanced version of the record can assist health and social care profes- sionals even further.

An enhanced Summary Care Record would include long term health conditions, personal preferences such as communication needs or disability, legal decisions about a person’s healthcare or end of life care and immunisation history.

Despite many patients assuming their medical record is available to all health and social care professionals, only those who have provided consent will have their data accessible in an emergency.

Therefore the three clinical commissioning groups across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are encouraging patients to allow their GP to include this additional information in their Summary Care Record.

Dr Tony Bentley, GP Lead for IT, speaking on behalf of the three clinical commissioning groups across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, said: “Without this consent, health and social care professionals can only see a patient’s basic record and in an emergency, they could be missing vital information about the their long-term health conditions, personal wishes and more.

“Patient’s medical records are stored safely. Records are never moved or taken outside of the GP practice and if consent is given, the information is viewed on a secure computer system, which can only be accessed by appropriate health and social care staff.

“The information will only be used in times of need, to ensure the care being provided to you is appropriate.”

Patients and carers should visit their GP practice to give verbal or written consent.

For more information about the Summary Care Record or the Enhanced Summary Care Record, ask your GP practice or visit http://digital.nhs.uk/ summary-care-records.