NHS Herefordshire basic health records to go national (From Hereford Times)

NHS Herefordshire basic health records to go national

7:00am Saturday 14th January 2012 in Health By Rachel Carter

NHS Herefordshire is planning to introduce a new medical records system in 2012.

Summary care records are national, electronic records containing basic information about medications, allergies and bad reactions to drugs.

The records will make it easier for health professionals across the county to access important medical information about all residents in the event of an emergency.

Over a six-month period, Herefordshire’s residents will begin receiving letters, telling them more about the summary care record and giving them the chance to opt out of the system if they wish to do so.

If they don’t, a summary record will automatically be created for them.

Paul Edwards of NHS Herefordshire said: “We hope that the majority of Herefordshire citizens will decide to have a summary care record as the introduction of this system nationwide means we can improve people’s life chances and recovery rates during emergencies by having immediate access to crucial information.”