The following IT systems are in use at the practice:
- Referral Management (using NHS numbers in referrals)
- Electronic Appointment Booking (the facility to book routine appointments online and, similarly, to cancel appointments
- Online booking of repeat prescriptions
- Summary Care Record (uploading details of your current medication and allergies to the national “spine” so that these are available for doctors involved in your care elsewhere)
- GP to GP transfers (the electronic transfer of records from practice to practice when you re-register
- Patient Access to records (the facility to view your medical records online).
If you are not already registered for online access and would like to be please complete our online form.
If you would like access to your medical records enabled or would like to opt out of the local or national summary care record, please contact reception.
Shared Care Record
Elgar House Surgery
September 2021
The local NHS has been working hard behind the scenes on the health and social care computer systems for Herefordshire & Worcestershire. We will soon start using a local: ‘Shared Care Record’ which will allow staff who are looking after you to view the records of other providers. This will enable GPs to see your hospital records. Similarly, the hospital will be able to see your GP records, and, where appropriate, the community and social care teams will be able to view details as well. This should make joined-up care easier to deliver.
Alongside this in the news recently there have been separate discussions about sharing records for research and planning purposes, which is a totally separate system. I thought it best to put down on paper the current situation, the differences and where to find out more about the different systems in place.
SUMMARY CARE RECORDS (SCR) : DIRECT PATIENT CARE
For some years this national system has been in place – it is an electronic record of important information, such as allergies and current medication, created from your GP record. It can be seen and used by staff in other areas of the health and social care system involved in your care.
To find out more click on https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr or call NHS Digital on 0300 303 5678. Patients have the right to object but would need to complete a Summary Care Record form. This system works well when you are on holiday in England, so a local Emergency Department could see your basic GP information and allergies if you needed treatment.
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Shared Care Record: DIRECT PATIENT CARE
This new Shared Care Record (ShCR) allows health and social care professionals who are involved in your direct care to see relevant information about you at the point of care. This system will improve safety for patients, reduce the number of times patients and carers have to repeat information and past illnesses, and help the Emergency Departments and on-call services provide joined-up care. The Shared Care Record will allow more detailed information to be viewed than the Summary Care Record.
To find out more click call 0345 646 1163 or click on: https://herefordshireandworcestershireccg.nhs.uk/health-services/shared-care-record
Patients have the right to object to but would need to complete a Shared Care Record right to object form.
General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR)
NHS Digital currently collects, analyses, publishes and shares data collected nationally from GP practices for planning and research. For 10 years this information has been collected via the General Practice Extraction Service, however, this will soon be replaced by the GPDPR system and no start date has been agreed yet.
To find out more click on https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-collections/general-practice-data-for-planning-and-research
If you choose to opt out of this, there are currently two separate opt outs which are slightly different. There are Type 1 Opt-outs, which started in 2013. This prevents the data extraction from GP practices and the form is kept on the GP patient record. It prevents GPs sharing your data with NHS Digital.
The newer National Data Opt-out is held centrally and prevents NHS Digital sharing your patient data with anyone else for purposes beyond your own care. This would also prevent NHS Digital from sharing hospital information and other non-GP information. To find out more click https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/ or ring 0300 303 5678
I hope this short summary is helpful. We have more information on the CCG and practice website. Also, the national websites described already have: ‘Frequently asked questions’ sections which I found helpful.
Kindly shared by:
Dr Richard Davies
GMC 4312909
Clinical Champion for the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Shared Care Record.