In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the passage of related legislation, temporary changes were made to Summary Care Records (SCRs) so that SCRs, by default, could contain additional patient information except where patients had indicated to the NHS that they did not want their data to be shared.

NHS Digital has advised that these changes are to continue going forward, meaning SCR Additional Information (AI) users will continue to be able to provide and use SCR AI under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality.

PSNC and the Community Pharmacy IT Group have campaigned for pharmacy teams’ access to SCR AI to be extended beyond the pandemic by sharing case study information. PSNC and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society both wrote to the relevant authorities within the NHS to share the significant evidence highlighting how SCR AI access for pharmacy teams improves patient safety.

A permanent policy change is being considered by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

If you have any examples of how SCR with AI has supported your ability to care for your patients, in comparison to the normal SCR access, please contact it@psnc.org.uk, as such examples could support our case for permanent access to SCR with AI and other health records.

Read more about SCRs