National Care Records Service (NCRS) (formerly known as Summary Care Records)
Summary
NCRS is a service that allows health and social care professionals to access and update a range of patient and safeguarding information across regional Integrated Care Services (ICS) boundaries.
The service provides a summary of health and care information for care settings where the full patient record is not required to support their direct care. The service is a web-based application and can be accessed regardless of what IT system an organisation is using and is the improved successor to the (SCRa).
It enables any authorised clinician, care worker and/or administrator, in any health or care setting, to access a patient’s information to support that patient’s direct care. Putting the right information in the hands of doctors, nurses, and other care professionals at the right time saves lives and improves outcomes.
NCRS uses a standalone portal. It can, therefore, be accessed regardless of what IT system an organisation is using. NCRS can also be integrated directly into a local record system accessible via an in-context link. The summary information it provides may be useful in care settings when more detailed patient information is not required to support direct patient care.
Benefits for Practice
- providing relevant information for emergency or out-of-hours providers, making unwanted admissions less likely and avoiding delays in urgent care
- health and care professionals providing care in any setting have key clinical information, reducing the risk of prescribing and other errors
- for patients with a disability, information such as communication needs, carers’ details, likes and dislikes, and specific care preferences can all be included. (It is widely acknowledged that carers benefit from ‘contingency planning’ conversations and have these recorded in SCRs so that care professionals know when and how to action such plans when needed)
- awareness of health problems like diabetes or dementia
- identifying patients eligible for flu or other vaccinations
- end of life preferences, lasting power of attorney details and advance decisions are available to care professionals
- non-English speakers’ clinical information is available immediately
NHS provides expert views on the benefits of additional information in summary care records including a useful case study.
Benefits for patients
- having an NCRS that includes extra information can be of particular benefit to patients with detailed and complex health problems.
Resources
Next page: Referral Support Service (RSS)