As part of work to support the ongoing fight against COVID-19, NHS Digital has announced that Additional Information has been added to most patients’ NHS Summary Care Records (SCR).

Standard SCR information includes medicines, allergies, adverse reactions and the Shielded Patient Flag.

SCR with Additional Information includes:

• details of the management of long-term conditions;
• medications;
• immunisations;
• care plan information; and
• significant medical history, past and present.

Prior to the pandemic, patients that wanted to ensure that those caring for them could see Additional Information to support their care needed to confirm their consent by requesting that their GP practice activate SCR with Additional Information; around 5% of patients had actively requested their GP practice to do this.

For the duration of the pandemic, patients will not need to ask their GP practice to activate Additional Information. This action is being taken in response to the Notice issued on 20th March 2020 under Regulation 3(4) of the Health Service Control of Patient Information Regulations 2002, requiring confidential patient information to be shared in the circumstances set out in the Notice.

Those patients that have opted out of SCR will remain opted out (less than 4% of patients). Additional Information has now become viewable by default within patients’ SCRs.

Read more at:

• SCR and within PSNC’s factsheet: Comparing standard SCR to SCR with Additional Information.
• COVID-19: Increased patient information for health and care professionals (NHS England and NHS Improvement guidance).

Please contact it@psnc.org.uk if you’d like to share your experiences about how this wider SCR access supported your ability to care for your patients.