To ensure your safety, doctors can access the most accurate information by sharing your medical data.

The systems we operate require that any sharing of medical information is consented by patients beforehand. Patients must consent to sharing of their data held at the practice with other health providers (e.g. District nurses, hospital Doctors) on a 'need to know basis'. In this way your personal information contained in your health records is under your control.

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). The Summary Care Record is meant to help emergency doctors and nurses help you when you contact them when the surgery is closed. Initially, it will contain just your medications and allergies.

As the central NHS computer system, called the 'Summary Care Record' (SCR), grows, other NHS staff will be able to access it. They can also view information from hospitals, out of hours services, and specialist letters that might be added.

Your information will be extracted from practices such as ours and held on central NHS databases.   

As with all new systems there are pros and cons to think about. When talking to an emergency doctor, you might miss something important. If they can see your medical record, it could prevent mistakes. However, even then, they should ask for your consent before accessing your record, unless you can't give it.

On the other hand, you may have strong views about sharing your personal information and wish to keep your information at the level of this practice.

Connecting for Health (CfH), the government agency responsible for the Summary Care Record have agreed with doctors’ leaders that new patients registering with this practice should be able to decide whether or not their information is uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System.

For existing patients it is different in that it is assumed that you want your record uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System unless you actively opt out.

Proxy access was developed to allow someone other than the patient to access and manage parts of their GP online services account.

The proxy is given their own online access account (rather than using the patient’s login details). It is often used by the parents or recognised carers of young children, and recognised carers of adults.

If this is required, please contact the surgery regarding creating an account.

If you have recently moved house, bought a new phone and got a new contact number or have done either of these temporarily, please inform the surgery of your new details. It is important we have your up to date contact details and address in case we need to contact you via phone or letter.

To inform us of new contact details, please either contact the surgery via telephone or email b83041.bowlinghallmp@nhs.net with your name, date of birth and your new details and we will update our system.