Benefits of Summary Care Records

Improved information flow between patient and staff

The Summary Care Record (SCR) will initially contain details of key health information including recent medications, allergies and adverse reactions to drugs providing a medical history at a glance.

Better treatment in emergencies and out of hours

The SCR will be available to health-care staff treating patients anywhere in England. This will be particularly useful in emergencies or when patients need treatment out-of-hours or when they are away from home.

Faster access

Patients care will no longer be delayed by the sending of records from one location to another, and patients will not be required to repeat the same information to different healthcare staff. 

Improvements to your care

The reliance on paper records and their transference from one location to another can be slow, and sometimes information can be lost along the way. One central, electronically held SCR for each patient will reduce this possibility. Authorised health-care staff will be able to see the parts of the record that are relevant to them, improving the quality of treatment and care.

Confidentiality and security of your record

Information in the SCR is safe and secure and is protected by the strongest security measures available for handling data.