The care.data programme has been commissioned by NHS England and is being run by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

It is important that the people who plan and manage the NHS have access to a full picture of the care being provided to patients so that they can make sure that the NHS is providing the best possible services to all of its patients.  They can only do this by using information, for example to compare care received in one area to the care received in another area to see what worked better.

Information in health records is also valuable for carrying out research into treatments offered for different diseases and illnesses.

Your date of birth, full postcode, NHS number and gender rather than your name will be used to link your records in a secure system, managed by the HSCIC. Once this information has been linked a new record will be created. This new record will not contain information that identifies you. The type of information shared, and how it is shared, is controlled by law and strict confidentiality rules.

If you are happy for your information to be used then you do not need to do anything.

If you do not want information that identifies you from being shared outside your GP practice, please complete the opt-out form and hand this in at the practice.

Download the opt-out form here: care data opt-out form

We will make a note of this in your medical record and this will prevent your information being used other than where necessary by law, such as in case of a public health emergency.

This will not affect the care you receive.  You can change your mind at any time and as many times as you wish.

You can access more information here:

NHS.uk Website – care.data Information

Patient Information Leaflet

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Later on as the central NHS computer system develops, (known as the 'Summary Care Record'-SCR), other staff who work in the NHS will be able to access it along with information from hospitals, out of hours services, and specialists letters that may be added as well.

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 you speak to an emergency doctor you might overlook something that is important and if they have access to your medical record it might avoid mistakes or problems, although even then, you should be asked to give your consent each time a member of NHS Staff wishes to access your record, unless you are medically unable to do so.

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.

Summary Care Leaflet

For further information visit the HSCIC Website

If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery.

Download the Opt Out Form