Summary care records (SCRs) are a ‘read only’ electronic record of important patient information, collated from GP medical records and updated whenever there is a relevant change.

SCRs are used in care settings across the NHS, including accident and emergency departments, out-of-hours services and hospital pharmacies. They can be seen and used by authorised staff involved in a patient’s direct care. Access to SCR information helps avoid delays to urgent care and can help reduce prescribing errors. Since their introduction in community pharmacy SCRs have enabled a safer, more efficient and better-informed service for patients. All patients in England will have a SCR unless they chose to sign an opt-out form. Patients can opt in and opt out of the process at any time. 

The benefits of using the SCR include:

• Timely access to accurate patient information
• Supports the provision of safer, more informed advice
• Improves the decision-making process 
• Helps identify potential prescribing errors 
• Ensures that the medicines dispensed are clinically appropriate
• Reduces the time, effort and resources required to obtain medicines’ information from the patient’s GP practice
• Reduces patients’ need to visit multiple care settings 
• Enables access to essential medicines information at weekends and out of hours when GP practices are closed.