Updates
SUSPENSION OF SUMMARY CARE RECORDS UPLOADS
SUSPENSION OF SUMMARY CARE RECORDS UPLOADS
Department of Health announces the suspension of SCR Uploads
Following yesterday’s BMA GPC meeting which was attended by your London GPC representatives, the BMA today issued the following:
BMA welcomes suspension of Summary Care Record uploads
The BMA today (Friday 16 April, 2010) welcomes an assurance that the upload of patients’ records to a national database in England will be suspended in areas where the programme of roll-out has been accelerated.
In December, the Department of Health announced that the roll-out of the Summary Care Record – under which a summary of patients’ records is uploaded to a national database unless they opt out – would be accelerated in some areas. Last month, the BMA wrote to the Health Minister calling for the programme to be suspended because of a range of concerns, including lack of sufficient information for patients.
Yesterday, the Department of Health told the BMA’s GPs Committee that records will not be uploaded in areas subject to accelerated roll-out until there is greater public and professional awareness.
Dr Grant Ingrams, Chairman of the BMA’s GP IT Committee, says:
“This is a positive step. We are pleased that Connecting for Health has listened to us, and welcome the decision to suspend uploads.
“Summary Care Records have the potential to improve healthcare for patients if implemented appropriately. We will want to work with government in future to ensure that the many concerns of patients and doctors are listened to and addressed.”
2. What this means now for London’s practices
As stated in our Londonwide Practical guidance http://www.lmc.org.uk/uploads/files/news/SCR/londonwidelmcsscrguidancema...
the rollout period has no deadline by which practices must upload their patients SCR codes.
The upload process can only happen when a practice is ready.
Practices not PCTs decide when they are ready.
Given the complexity of the CfH information posted to patients by the PCT, and the absence of a conveniently accessible opt out form in that posting, practices should do their best to see that their patients have been adequately informed about SCRs, including helping them understand their right to opt out.
Written by Dr Martin Harris, Doctor and Mohel for Jewish Circumcision Clinic in London Bris Mila Brit Milah.
www.circumcisionlondon.co.uk
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