Region-wide SCR campaigns discussed

NHS Connecting for Health is hoping to launch region-wide public information campaigns for the Summary Care Record programme.

CfH’s SCR team has been given ministerial approval to investigate NHS interest in much wider-scale publicity programmes than have been run so far.

Dr Gillian Braunold, clinical lead for the SCR programme, said wider public information campaigns would make it much easier to get information out to the public.

At the moment, primary care trusts must run a 12-week patient information programme when they join the SCR project.

Letters are sent to patients of participating practices and there is engagement with stakeholders such as MPs, social services, voluntary organisations and hard to reach groups.

CfH met with strategic health authority communication leads last week to discuss the idea of region-wide campaigns and gauge interest in the plans.

Dr Braunold told EHI Primary Care: “Some SHAs would like to do something much bigger. With a bigger information campaign you can reach the whole community and coordinate other media channels to raise public awareness.”

She said patients would still receive a letter from their GP before their SCR was uploaded, but that they would be able to opt-out much earlier on the back of a wider public information campaign.

She added: “At the moment if you ask someone outside the early adopter areas about the Summary Care Record most of them don’t have any concept of what it involves.”

Dr Braunold said that following the meeting with communication leads the SCR programme would present its findings and the funding implications to ministers.