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Coronavirus (COVID-19) response: SCR Additional Information
To help the NHS to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we are including Additional Information in Summary Care Records for patients by default, unless they have previously told the NHS that they did not want their information to be shared.
There will also be a temporary change to include COVID-19 codes on the patient’s SCR. Users of the Summary Care Record application and SCR 1-click systems will be made aware of specific suspected and confirmed COVID-19 information by a message box displayed on the SCR.
The change to include Additional Information in a patient’s SCR will enable health and care professionals to have better medical information about the patient they are treating at the point of care. This change will apply for the duration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic only. Unless alternative arrangements have been put in place before the end of the emergency period, this change will be reversed.
Patients can be reassured that if they have previously opted-out of having a Summary Care Record or declined to provide consent to share their Additional Information,their preference will continue to be respected and applied.
Specific sensitive information like fertility treatments, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy terminations and gender reassignment will not be automatically included when the information is added. Sensitive information is excluded through the RCGP sensitive dataset. Full downloads of the GP Summary Code List releases (Generalpracticesummarydatasharingexclusionforassistedfertilisation, Generalpracticesummarydatasharingexclusionforgenderrelatedissues, Generalpracticesummarydatasharingexclusionforsexuallytransmitteddisease and Generalpracticesummarydatasharingexclusionforterminationofpregnancy) are available on the Technology Reference Data Update Distribution site.
Other items, including sensitive items that the patient would like to be included, can be manually added to the record. The patient can view a preview before they consent, and items can be added or removed.
View an example SCR with Additional Information created by TPP SystmOne
View an example SCR with Additional Information created by Emis
Identification and management of patients with frailty
From 1 July 2017, the General Medical Services (GMS) contract requires GPs to identify patients with moderate or severe frailty, and promote the inclusion of Additional Information in the SCRs of those with severe frailty by seeking their consent to add it. NHS Digital have sent a resource pack, Supporting Guidance for promoting enriched Summary Care Records for patients with frailty, to CCGs, to be distributed to GP practices, containing support and guidance on their new duties and how to include Additional Information in SCRs.
Read NHS England guidance on the requirements to support frailty in the GMS contract 2017-18.