Patients in Eastbourne, Lewes, Uckfield, Crowborough, Buxted, Heathfield, Rotherfield and Newick are to receive faster, more efficient health care with the introduction of a new online service.
The NHS Summary Care Records (SCR) programme will allow patients to choose to have a secure electronic record containing key health information about them.
These details would be drawn from a patient’s GP record and could be added to as necessary by other health care staff treating the patient, ensuring vital information is easily at hand.
The scheme will give doctors and nurses access to information about:
- patients’ allergies and medication
- any bad reactions patients may have had to medication in the past
- other key information which may be of use.
Summary care records will ensure that medical professionals have details of a patients’ essential medical history in the event of an emergency.
It is important to stress that a summary care record will only be accessible by staff directly involved in a patient’s treatment.
Also, patients have the option not to be part of the scheme, in which case healthcare staff will continue to record details as before and it will only be available to the GP and staff in their surgery.
The summary care record is part of a national programme to transform how the NHS uses information to support patient care.
NHS Connecting for Health, a national agency of the Department of Health, is supporting local NHS organisations to deliver the scheme.
Lisa Compton, Director of Assurance and Engagement for NHS East Sussex Downs and Weald commented:
"The Summary Care record will be of great benefit to all patients in our area.
Important health information is held in GP surgeries and it will really help patients when this is made available to doctors and nurses in other healthcare settings, such as hospitals.
This sharing of information will be particularly helpful to patients who have longterm conditions, such as diabetes, where it is important for all those treating them to quickly understand what health problems they have."
Notes to editors
Patients at the following practices are being sent an information pack explaining how the summary care record works and their records will be created during 2010:
Riverside Practice, Lewes
Buxted Surgery, Buxted,
Bird in Eye Surgery, Uckfield
Saxonbury Surgery, Crowborough
Rotherfield Surgery, Rotherfield
Woodhill Surgery, Mayfield
Heathfield Surgery, Heathfield
Lighthouse Medical Practice, Eastbourne
Ian Gow Memorial Health Centre, Eastbourne
Greenstreet Clinic, Eastbourne
Newick Health Centre, Newick
