At Phlo, we have strived to build an intuitive, quick and straightforward registration process for our patients. The feedback that we have received so far tells us that we’ve achieved just that.  

Before you finish registering for Phlo, we will ask you to:

• Nominate Phlo as your pharmacy  
• Consent to Phlo accessing your Summary Care Record (SCR)

This brings us to the topic of this week’s blog: the Summary Care Record. The most common questions we receive from new and prospective Phlo patients all revolve around the SCR:

• “What is the SCR?”  
• “What is the SCR for?”  
• “Why do you need my consent to access it?”  
• “What does this mean for my privacy?”

In this blog, we’ve set out to definitively answer these questions, and provide a comprehensive overview of the Summary Care Record.

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The Summary Care Record (SCR)

As its name implies, the Summary Care Record is an electronic record containing a summary of important patient information unique to you, created from your GP records.  

Some of the information contained in the SCR includes:

• Your identity, including name, address, date of birth and NHS number
• The current medication that you’re taking  
• Any allergies and details of previous adverse reactions to medication
• Important notes from your GP

Roughly 98% of GP Surgeries in England use the SCR system, so unless you have personally chosen to opt out at some point, chances are that you already have an SCR that has been created automatically.

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The SCR may also contain extra information, called “Additional Information”. This mostly applies to patients with long-term chronic health conditions. Additional information adds more comprehensive data about medical history, reasons for taking medication, immunisations, etc.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Additional Information will temporarily include COVID-19 specific information.  

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What is the SCR used for?

The SCR is meant to provide crucial information that ensure that care in settings outwith your GP is safer.  

Access to better medical information about you allows healthcare professionals to reduce the risk of prescribing errors and avoid delays to urgent care.  

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Why do you need to access my SCR?

At Phlo, we ask for permission to access your SCR for the following reasons:

1. To verify you as a patient and ensure that we maintain correct patient information.

2. Reduce chance of drug interactions.

3. Ensure patients are not given any medication they are allergic or sensitive to.

4. Allow us to access patients repeat medication list which we add to the patient’s profile allowing the patient to use Phlo to its full potential (i.e. re-order repeat medication).  

This enables our pharmacists to provide you with a safe and effective pharmacy service. At Phlo, we only access this information when clear consent has been provided by the patient.

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Who can access my SCR data and how is it protected?

Only our Phlo pharmacists have access to your SCR.  

At Phlo Digital Pharmacy, we recognise and treat data security with the utmost importance and respect. Our online pharmacy has implemented the most stringent of data protection and security protocols across our organisation.   

Additionally, data within the SCR is protected by the NHS through secure technology and strict information governance rules and procedures.  

To learn more about the SCR, you can access an official NHS resource here.  

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If you’ve got any questions about the SCR, please contact the pharmacy team who will be able to answer any question you may have.