How to access your Summary Care Record (SCR)

What is a Summary Care Record? (SCR)?

Your Summary Care Record is a digital overview of your health history. This allows your care providers to quickly and easily see your key health info – such as your allergies or prescribed medications.

In order to safely prescribe ADHD medication to you, we need to first see your SCR. We’ll ask your permission to access this ourselves first, but occasionally we’re not able to access it. In this instance, we’ll need you to request it from your GP yourself. It’s quick and easy to do, and your GP should get back to you within a couple of days of your request.

Here we’ll outline three ways you can access your SCR.

Using the NHS app

This is the quickest way to access your SCR.

Simply download and login to your NHS app using the instructions provided.
Once you’re logged in to the app, scroll down to “Upcoming and past appointments”
Select “GP surgery appointments” and hit “Book an appointment”
Then hit “Ask your GP surgery a question” (if this option is not available to you, you’ll need to access your SCR by emailing your GP or visiting them in person)
On the next page, tap “Ask a question or send a request”
Then hit “Continue”, followed by “I confirm, none of these are present” </li
On the following page, select the option that best applies or select “Something else”
You should then be asked to provide further information in a text box – type “I would like a copy of my medical records” and hit “Continue”
On the next page, specify this request is for yourself and fill in any further details and contact information
Review and submit your request

Once you’ve submitted your request, your GP surgery will review it and should get back to you within two working days.

Emailing your GP

Another option you have is to email your GP or clinic directly. To find their email address, use the NHS Find a GP service. Here’s a template you can use if you’re not sure what to write:

Subject: Request for Summary Care Records

Hi there,

I hope this email finds you well.

I am a registered patient at your surgery. My name is [x] and my date of birth is [DOB]. I am writing to formally request a copy of my Summary Care Records (SCR).

Please let me know if there is any further information you need.

Thanks in advance,

[Your name].

In person

If you decide to visit your GP in person to request your records, make sure to bring ID, as it’s likely they’ll want to see this. Simply say to the receptionist that you’d like to request a copy of your Summary Care Record. You do not have to provide a specific reason for your request, but you can share that you have been asked to provide them for a private ADHD consultation if you wish.

If you live within the UK but not in England

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, your NHS GP will keep a medical record for you, but it may go by a different name.

In Scotland, you’ll have an Emergency Care Summary (ECS) or Key Information Summary (KIS).
In Wales, you’ll have a GP Record.
In Northern Ireland, the equivalent is a Northern Ireland Electronic Care Record (NIECR).

At time of writing, none of the above were available to access through an NHS app. So if you live in any of the above regions, you’ll have to request a copy of your record by contacting your GP.

Can my GP refuse my request?

You are legally entitled to your records, and your GP must provide them to you upon request as per General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

How to share your records with Focused

Once you’ve got a copy of your medical records, log in to your Focused account and go to ‘Consultations & treatments’. From there, simply upload the file (either as an image or PDF) and hit ‘Submit’.

Our clinician will review your SCR and get in touch if they need anything.