Published 23 June 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2519
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b2519

Letters

Summary care records

No one has asked me

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The Royal College of General Practitioners’ assertion that it supports the use of the summary care record highlights how out of touch it is with frontline general practice.¹ No one has asked me, a member, whether I support the summary care record either in principle or in the way in which it is being rolled out.

General practitioners, and their patients, have severe misgivings about this programme. Some GPs accept that, for a few people, increased availability of certain aspects of their medical data might be useful, but the summary care record is not the only way. There are better ways that also ensure that the patient remains in full control of all aspects of the data being shared and that trust between GP and patient is maintained. The decision whether information needs to be shared widely, and by what means, should be made by patients with the person who . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Yateley, Hampshire GU46 7LS

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