Within the last few weeks you should have received a letter from NHS Berkshire West about the creation of the NHS Summary Care Record, enclosing a booklet "Changes to your health records".
Please read this important information carefully. If you no longer have it, the booklet can be seen here available electronically to other Health Service clinicians.  At some time during 2010 (we don’t yet know when) it is planned that the first set of information (about your repeat medication, recent acute medication, allergies and intolerances) will be uploaded to the NHS Care Records Service (NHSCRS), which is sometimes referred to as ‘the spine’.   

We understand that some people have concerns over such information being held on a national database.  As ever, there are (at least!) two sides to any debate.  If you would like to find out more, we suggest you follow both these links:

the NHS Care Records’ site and the ‘site ‘Opt-out’

If, having digested all the available information, you decide you wish to refuse consent for your information to be uploaded to the NHSCRS, you will need to let us know in writing by the 14th May. There is a standard letter available here or from reception at the Swallowfield Surgery

 Please note that it is not possible under normal circumstances to withhold your demographic information (e.g. name, date of birth, address, telephone number) from the spine and we would remind you that this information is probably already held on national databases (e.g. Inland Revenue, DVLA, etc) anyway.