Patient record and accessing test results

Online access to GP health records

Prospective Access

From 1st November 2023 the majority of patients aged 16 and over who have an online account such as the NHS App, SystmOnline, Airmid or another online primary care service, will be able to see all notes and health records when accessing these online accounts. Some of our more vulnerable patients will require a separate conversation with the practice before a decision is made to release access to the full medical record.

This means that you will be able to see consultation notes from your appointments, as well as test results and any letters that are saved on your records from 1st November onwards. This only applies to records from the GP surgery and not from hospitals or other specialists and you will only be able to see information from the GP surgery where you are registered at the time. If you move GP surgery, you will only see information from your new surgery and not from the surgery that you have moved from. For most people, access will be automatic, and you won’t need to do anything, however, some of our more vulnerable patients may need a chat with a clinician before a decision is made to make full records access available.

Your GP, nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional may talk to you to discuss test results before you are able to see some of your information on the app. Your clinician may also talk to you before your full records access is given to make sure that having access is of benefit to you. There might be some sensitive information on your record, so you should talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

These changes only apply to people with online accounts. The changes also only apply to personal information about you and will not affect patients with proxy access.

The NHS App and other online services are all very secure, so no-one is able to access your information except you.  If you do not currently have access to an online account, please download the NHS app and follow the set-up instructions.

If you do not want to see your health record, please let us know by emailing Castlemedicalgroup.noreply@nhs.net

Text messages have been sent out to patients with current online access which includes an attachment that requires you to enter your date of birth in order to view it.

We are aware that you may come across abbreviations whilst looking through your consultations. Please follow this link provided by the NHS for help with these: Abbreviations you may find in your health records - NHS App help and support

An important note about password security

You must make sure that you protect your online access login details.

Please do not share your password with anyone else, as from 31st OCTOBER anyone you have shared your login information with will have access to all of YOUR personal information.  If you believe that someone else has access to your login information/password, please change your password as soon as possible.

If you access your online account via a shared mobile phone or other electronic device, please do not ask the device to save your log in information and password and remember to log out of your online account each time you have finished looking at your information.

We are currently receiving requests for full records access from parents / carers who have proxy access to other patients' records. Please note these requests will be declined.  Full records access will not be enabled for patients with proxy access. 

Summary Care Record

Summary Care Records (SCR) are an electronic record of important patient information, created from GP medical records. They can be seen and used by authorised staff in other areas of the health and care system involved in the patient's direct care, e.g. District Nurses or the local podiatry department.

At a minimum, the SCR holds important information about;

  • current medication
  • allergies and details of any previous bad reactions to medicines
  • the name, address, date of birth and NHS number of the patient

You can also choose to have additional information included in your SCR, which can enhance the care you receive. This information includes:

  • Your illnesses and health problems
  • Operations and vaccinations you have had in the past
  • How you would like to be treated – such as where you would prefer to receive care
  • What support you might need
  • Who should be contacted for more information about you

As with all systems there are pros and cons to consider, you may need to be treated by health and care professionals who do not know your medical history. Essential details about your healthcare can be difficult to remember, particularly when you are unwell or have complex care needs. Having an enhanced SCR can help the staff involved in your care access information more quickly, enabling them to make better and safer decisions about your treatment.

On the other hand, you may have strong views about sharing your personal information and wish to keep your information at the level of this practice.

If you don’t want a Summary Care Record, please inform us.

Worried about your NHS health data? You can opt out

 

Type 1 Opt Out

This Opt Out prevents an individual’s personal confidential information from being shared outside of their general practice, except when it is being used for the purposes of direct care, or in particular circumstances required by law, such as a public health emergency like an outbreak of a pandemic disease. If you wish to apply a Type 1 Opt Out to your record, please complete the Opt Out form and email it to us at castlemedicalgroup.noreply@nhs.net or alternatively bring it to Reception.

Please use the form to:

  • Register a Type 1 Opt-out, for yourself or for a dependent (if you are the parent or legal guardian of the patient) (to Opt-out)
  • Withdraw an existing Type 1 Opt-out, for yourself or a dependent (if you are the parent or legal guardian of the patient) if you have changed your preference (Opt-in) 

 

National Data Opt Out 

Your 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 stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning, and for someone else, for example, your children under the age of 13.

Your choice will only apply to the health and care system in England. This does not apply to health or care services that are accessed in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Please note, that we cannot manage this opt-out at the practice.

For more information, including how to opt-out, go to the NHS website, email, or phone the NHS Digital Contact Centre on 0300 303 5678, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

Alternatively, write to: National Data Opt Out, Contact Centre, NHS Digital, HM Government, 7 and 8 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP.