As your GP practice, we have been asked to provide you with, no later than 1st November 2023, access to your full medical record going forward. If you are over 16 and have registered for the NHS app (and NHS website) or Systmonline account (or Airmid app) you will automatically see your records. 

In addition to your coded record existing account users will now be able to:

• See new entries in your GP health record which will include consultation notes, letters and test results. ​
• Access your GP health record whihc can help you better understand and manage your condition, without having to phone your GP surgery.
• View the latest information around your care, medications and test results without having to phone your GP surgery. 

For information on how to register for the NHS App or a Systmonline account please see our Online Access page.

Increasingly, patient medical data is shared e.g. between GP surgeries and District Nursing, in order to give clinicians access to the most up to date information when attending patients.

The systems we operate require that any sharing of medical information is consented to by patients beforehand. Patients must consent to sharing of the data held by a health provider out to other health providers and must also consent to which of the other providers can access their data.

e.g. it may be necessary to share data held in GP practices with district nurses but the local podiatry department would not need to see it to undertake their work. In this case, patients would allow the surgery to share their data, they would allow the district nurses to access it but they would not allow access by the podiatry department. In this way access to patient data is under patients' control and can be shared on a 'need to know' basis.

The Northamptonshire Care Record (NCR) is a new solution to enable sharing of patient records between health and care professionals to provide an integrated care record across the county.

The NCR will initially bring together data from:

• General practice
• Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
• Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

and then later, data from:

• North and West Northamptonshire Councils (adult and child social services)

• East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• Voluntary sector organisations involved in direct care (where appropriate)

The Summary Care Record (SCR) is an electronic record of important patient information, created from GP medical records. They can be seen and used by authorised staff in other areas of the health and care system involved in the patient's direct care. This is so that if you are being treated away from home, for example, the doctor treating you would know essential details that might include your allergies, regular medication and past history. Since this began in 2010 you have had the option of opting out of this scheme. There is a form for this, available from your GP surgery or to download from the link below.

Why do I need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed. This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record. 

Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.

Type 1 Opt-out (opting out of NHS Digital collecting your data)

From 1st September 2021 NHS Digital will collect data from GP practices about patients’ who have not registered a Type 1 Opt-out with their practice. More information about Type 1 Opt-outs can be accessed in their GP Data for Planning and Research Transparency Notice

To enable the practice staff to process your choice to opt-out or opt-in, please send us the form by 23rd August 2021 at the latest.

If you register a Type 1 Opt-out after this collection has started, no more of your data will be shared with NHS Digital.  They will however still hold the patient data which was shared with them before you registered the Type 1 Opt-out. 

If you do not want NHS Digital to share your identifiable patient data with anyone else for purposes beyond your own care, then you can also register a National Data Opt-out.  See below for further information.

The national data opt-out was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs. 

Since 25th May 2018 GP's have been unable to record a patients choice to opt out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes. Any choices that were made prior to this date will have been recorded.  If you do not want to opt out you do not need to do anything.  But if you do, there are a number of ways to do this:

• Via the NHS App
• By using the online service - https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice/
• Or by calling 0300 3035678

Your health and care information is used to improve your individual care. It is also used to help us research new treatments, decide where to put GP clinics and plan for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.