Oxon Medical Records Changing
2 April 2012, 05:00
The way health records in Oxfordshire are managed is changing.
As part of a national programme to give health-care professionals faster access to your details the NHS Care Records Service is starting in Oxfordshire.
From April patients over 16 registered with a GP will start getting letters explaining what the care records are, how they will benefit, and give patients a choice on whether they want to opt out.
The records are made up of two parts;
-The National Summary Care Record - these are held nationally and are available to support emergency care. They contain a patient's allergies, medications and any adverse reaction to medications they may have.
-The local Oxfordshire Care Summary - this is view only and holds more detailed information. It's only available to health-care professionals involved in a patient's treatment in Oxfordshire.
People concerned about who will see their electronic records are being reassured that staff will have to ask permission before information can be viewed. Access to the Summary Care Record is restricted to staff with a chip-and-pin smart-card who are directly involved in the patient's care.
Dr Andy Chivers, clinical lead for the Oxfordshire Care Summary said:
"The Oxfordshire Care Summary will improve patient care especially in more complex cases where the GP record may hold vital information not otherwise available, such as blood test results or drug side effects.
"Control and monitoring of access to the data will be taken very seriously so we can assure Oxfordshire residents that their information is only viewed when necessary for medical care."
Click here for more information on the new service.
You can also email health.records@oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk or by call one of the dedicated helplines:
The national Summary Care Record 0300 123 3020
The local Oxfordshire Care Summary 01865 428886