The Connecting Care Records (ConCR) programme is the successor to the Shared Care Record programme. It is expected to finish in March 2026.

The programme is supporting the integrated care board (ICB) Shared Care Record programmes to improve access to electronic health data across health and care.

In the short term, ConCR is setting up the systems necessary for ICBs to share health data across the country. Longer term, the Single Patient Record programme will look to create “a single patient record, owned by the patient, shared across the system, so that every part of the NHS has a full picture of the patient.”

A shared care record is a safe and secure way of bringing electronic records from different health and care organisations together digitally in one place. It joins up information based on the individual rather than the organisation, aligning strategically with the 10-year Health Plan’s ambitions to make the shift from analogue to digital and create the most digitally accessible health system in the world.

Shared care records facilitate extensive and collaborative sharing of patient data and information across health care organisations, including social care bodies.

Controls are put in place to make sure only authorised users can access the shared care records for direct care purposes only. Any other use of this data must have a clear and lawful basis. More information about this can be found in the Information Governance Framework for Integrated Health and Care: Shared Care Records guidance.

NHS England has invested about £20 million to connect care records across England by March 2026.

ConCR is working with health and care teams to achieve this ambition by using interoperability tools such as National Record Locator, to facilitate the safe and secure exchange of electronic health data across different systems, devices and applications.

ConCR are working with healthcare teams and IT suppliers to improve interoperability between shared care records, ensuring that clinical teams have access to the data they need when they need it.

For example, around half of ambulance services can currently access a patient’s shared care record information in whatever location the patient needs care. By 2026, we expect all ambulances services will be able to do so. This means that an ambulance service called to an accident in London will be able to access information about a patient who is visiting from Preston. This will enable better patient care and avoid unnecessary admissions as detailed in the Urgent and emergency care (UEC) plan 2025/26.

Expected benefits are:

• Reduced time spent making phone calls to gather information, to collate and summarise information from external sources for independent community providers due to records availability across organisation boundaries through Shared Care Record access. Benefitting the organisation by providing additional time for patient care.
• As a result of improved information available to health and social care staff through the Shared Care Record, care can be better planned
• As a result of care plans and assessments for patients with frailty/long term condition covering the whole patient journey, being available in real time and updated by clinical staff via the Shared Care Record, there will be improved patient centred care and early intervention to avoid admission.
• Reduced time spent receiving phone calls with requests for information from Independent Community providers due to records availability across organisation boundaries through Shared Care Record access. Benefitting the organisation by providing additional time for patient care.
• Reducing the need to transport patients to emergency departments by improving access to information across different locations
• Reduced time spent sharing, gathering and collating information for patients being seen across organisation and regional boundaries through shared care record integration across England. Released time can be reinvested into administrative and clinical duties thus benefitting staff and providing additional time for patient care.

For more information, email england.concr@nhs.net