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The facts about sharing health records
This fact sheet provides you with information to help you understand the sharing arrangements for
your health records. Care.data is proposed for a phased roll out to begin in autumn 2014,
Summary Care Record has been live for a number of years and Leeds Care Record is slowly
being introduced into GP Practices across Leeds.
Care.data
Care.data is a national initiative led by NHS England. Care.data is the routine extraction of certain
personal, confidential data from GP practice systems to improve patient care.
It will include information such as family history, vaccinations, diagnoses, referrals and all NHS
prescriptions. Information such as, postcode and NHS number and gender are needed to link GP
data with personal, confidential data from other care settings in order to analyse patient care
across different services.
By using information about the care a patient has received, those involved in providing care and
health services can
check on the quality of healthcare provided and decide whether
improvements need to be made. This will help to ensure the quality and safety of healthcare
services.
Information would only be disclosed to other NHS services where it not possible to identify
individual patients. Where confidential information is disclosed it would only be done so where
there is a clear legal basis to do so.
The scheme is currently being considered for start-up in autumn 2014 after awareness of the
scheme is raised and to listen and act on the views of patients and others.
Can patients opt out?
Yes, patients can opt out of care.data directly with the GP practice. If a patient needs more
information they can call the dedicated patient information line on 0300 456 3531. This line also
offers translation and text phone services. Information is also available on the NHS Choices
website at www.nhs.uk/caredata.
Summary Care Record
The Summary Care Record is an electronic record that's stored at a central location. As the name
suggests, the record will not contain detailed information about a patient’s medical history, but will
only contain important health information, such as:
 any prescription medication a patient is taking
 any allergies a patient may have
 any bad reaction to any medication a patient may have previously had
Having this information stored in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an
emergency or when your GP is closed.
Access to Summary Care Records is strictly controlled. The only people who can see the
information is healthcare staff directly involved in a patient’s care who have a special smartcard
and access number (like a chip-and-pin credit card). All GP Practices in Leeds have signed up to
this initiative. Healthcare staff need to ask a patient’s permission every time they need to look at
their Summary Care Record. If they cannot ask, e.g. because a patient is unconscious, healthcare
staff can look at a record without asking. If they have to do this, it will be noted on the patient
record.
More information about the Summary Care Record can be found at www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk
Can patients opt out?
Yes, patients who would like to opt out you need to complete a form supplied by your GP practice.
Leeds Care Record
At the moment, every health and social care organisation holds a different set of records about a
patient. Information in different records may be duplicated or incomplete and communications
between services are frequently done by letter. The Leeds Care Record gives health and social
care professionals directly in charge of patient care access to the most up-to-date and key
information electronically such as:
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address and telephone number
problem diagnosis list
medications
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test result
referrals
clinic letters and discharge information
The type of records to be shared would be GP, hospital, social care, community and mental health
records.
Sharing of key information from a patient’s medical and care records will happen automatically
between health and social care services in Leeds where organisations sign up to the scheme. GP
practices who sign up to the Leeds Care Record will need to comply with the Data Protection Act
which sets out the conditions for lawful sharing of patient information and to ensure that the
information is secure. Not all practices have currently signed up to the Leeds Care Record. You
can if you wish ask at your practice whether they have signed up.
Further information about the Leeds Care Record can be seen at: www.LeedsCareRecord.org
Can patients opt out?
Yes, patients can choose not to have a Leeds Care Record by calling 0113 20 64102 or sending a
letter to Leeds Care Record, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Lincoln Wing/Chancellor Wing
Link Corridor, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF.
Risk Stratification
If you would like some information on pro-active care management known as “Risk Stratification”
please visit www.leedsnorthccg.nhs.uk/about-us/informatics/
We would like to know if the information provided within this factsheet has been useful or if you
would like to receive any further information, please contact the communications team at
[email protected] or call on 0113 843 2900. Alternatively, you can complete the form and
freepost to the address below.
Please note: this is not an opt out form.
Name
Preferred contact details (by
post/phone/email)
Comment or request for
further information
Freepost RTEH-ZTXY-HALJ
Leeds North Clinical Commissioning Group
Leafield House, 107-109 King Lane, Leeds, LS17 5BP
Information correct at time of production – June 2014