What is the London Care Record and how does it benefit you?

What is the London Care Record?

In the past, health and social care workers from different local organisations involved in your care have not had a system in place to share important information about your care automatically. That's why the London Care Record has been developed. This is a single digital view of important health and care information about you. This means, it displays information from separate health and care systems all in one place.

Professionals who are involved in your care can see this information quickly and safely, so that they can treat and care for you. The London Care Record does not gather new information. It makes existing information more accessible, anywhere you receive care. This means those involved in your care, such as GPs, hospital staff, district nurses, and social workers will now have faster access to information about you when they’re caring or treating you.

How is the London Care Record going to benefit you?

Completely confidential and secure, the London Care Record helps doctors, nurses and other health and social care professionals directly involved in your care to make better, safer decisions. Often when you see a care professional, important information about you is not available at that time. This can risk you repeating appointments or blood tests unnecessarily. It can also mean you are asked to repeat your medical information or history on many occasions.

For example, if you are treated in the emergency department (A&E) at hospital, the staff might have to spend time contacting other organisations to get relevant information, such as allergies, medicine reactions, or the results of any tests at your GP surgery.

With the London Care Record, the professionals treating you will be able to see your medical history at a glance. It means that front-line professionals can focus on providing you with the right treatment, rather than wasting time trying to get all the information they need. This will speed up treatment and may help to avoid unnecessary admission into hospital. 

What information will be shared in the London Care Record?

The London Care Record contains important information about you.

This includes:

• Your name, date of birth, gender, address, contact details and NHS number to help identify you correctly

• The name of your GP Practice and GP to support primary care.

• Information about your appointments and hospital attendances

• Medicines you are taking plus details of medication reactions and allergies, immunisations and diagnoses.

• Test results, hospital referrals, admissions, discharges and clinics attended

• Social and mental health information and care plans

Who can view my information on the London Care Record?

Only health, social and care professionals directly involved in your care can access your information, at point of care:

• Your GP

• A&E teams in London if you go there for an emergency

• The social care team looking after you in your home

There will be a record of who has looked at your information, what they looked at, and when.