Permission to View (PTV) Summary Care Record (SCR) Statement
February 2025
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) provides timely accident and emergency care throughout the South West region. To ensure we deliver the best possible patient care to those interacting with our service, SWASFT have made a change so that our Paramedics, clinicians and staff that work in a clinical setting treating or assessing patients will be able to access your NHS Summary Care Record (SCR) prior to their interaction with you.
This is to support timely, effective, informed clinical decision making, to ensure you receive the very best patient care.
What is the Summary Care Record?
The Summary Care Record (SCR) is a national database that holds electronic records of important medical information about you such as current medication, allergies and details of any previous bad reactions to medicines you may have had.
The SCR is created automatically from your GP medical records and whenever your GP record is updated, the changes are synchronised to your SCR. For more information, see Summary Care Records -information for patients.
Some patients, including many with long term health conditions, have previously agreed to have Additional Information shared as part of their SCR. This additional information includes information about significant medical history (past and present), reasons for medications, care plan information and immunisations. You
can talk to your GP practice about opting out of including Additional Information about long term conditions, care preferences or specific communication needs.
What change has been made?
Across the wider NHS in England, health and care staff would normally ask you for your Permission to View before looking at your SCR. However, this can create a barrier to the access to vital information to support your care in the time critical situations in which SWASFT delivers care. SWASFT have therefore made a
change to remove the need to ask for your Permission to View before looking at your SCR when you are in contact with our service.
When would SWASFT review your Summary Care Record?
SWASFT staff use their clinical judgement to help decide where access to your SCR would help your care. There are two situations in which we would review your Summary Care Record:
1. A Paramedic or clinician is on the way to a patient who needs emergency or urgent care and whilst being driven to the scene, the Paramedic or clinician reviews the patient’s SCR to gain a clinical understanding of the patient before arrival at scene to enable them to deliver the immediate urgent critical care that the patient needs.
2. When you call 999 for help, sometimes a clinician at our Clinical Support Desk will review your case more closely to make sure you get the right care. They will look at your call notes and your Summary Care Record (SCR), which contains important information about your health. Then, they will call you back to make sure you receive the best possible care and response.
Who can see my Summary Care Record in SWASFT?
Only authorised, professional healthcare staff who are involved in your direct care can have access to your SCR. Your SCR will not be used for any other purposes.
These staff:
• Need to have a Smartcard with a chip and passcode or biometric log in via an iPad.
• Will only see the information they need to inform your care.
• Will have their details recorded every time they look at your record
What if I do not want my Summary Care Record to be shared?
The purpose of the Summary Care Record is to improve the care that you receive, however, if you don't want to have an SCR, you have the option to opt out. If this is your preference, please inform your GP or fill in an SCR patient consent preferences form and return it to your GP practice.
What if I do not want my data to be shared for research and planning purposes?
Your NHS health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning. You can choose to opt out of sharing your confidential patient information being used for research and planning, and you can change your choice at any time. Find out how to make your choice here