Thurrock Health Centre to use SCR

The summary care record roll out

A walk-in centre and GP practice in Essex is to become the first NHS organisation in NHS East of England to use Summary Care Records.

Staff at Thurrock Health Centre in Grays, Essex will be able to access the SCR of patients registered elsewhere when it opens on 31 May, NHS South West Essex has announced.

The PCT, an early adopter for the SCR, said medical staff at the health centre will be able to use the summary when they treat patients from other GP surgeries who attend the health centre as walk-in patients.

The PCT said the SCR would mean better, safer care for patients. Dr Robin Bell, a Basildon GP and clinical chair of NHS South West Essex, said it was often distressing for patients to try and recall their medical history and what medicines they were taking, especially in an emergency.

He added: “Using advanced and secure technology, health professionals can have up-to-date information at their fingertips so that patients get the right treatment in the shortest time.”

The PCT said the SCR would eventually mean that patients with long term or complex conditions would have the extra security of not having to carry around or remember details of their care and medication.

Barbara Stuttle, deputy chief executive of NHS South West Essex, added: “Getting the right information to the right people at the right time is going to save NHS time and money but much more importantly it could save distress and ultimately a life.

NHS South West Essex launched its SCR roll-out in December 2008 and had created SCRs for two-thirds of its patients before uploads were suspended nationally last month.

It had hoped to upload records for its remaining 140,000 residents on 1 June and is currently in consultation with local practices and the local medical committee.

It is one of 14 PCTs in NHS East of England that plan to upload SCRs for 92% of the population by the end of the year, subject to gaining the agreement of GP practices.

Thurrock Health Centre is to offer walk-in appointments to patients who are not registered at the practice for 12 hours a day, 365 days of the year and will be based in a former Woolworths store in the High Street.