What do I need to do?

You don’t need to do anything. For anyone who is registered with a GP in Coventry and Warwickshire, Birmingham (excluding west Birmingham) and Solihull, or Herefordshire and Worcestershire, the change has taken place automatically as we have switched on the ICR across the organisations taking part in the programme. We’ll update the list of organisations over time to reflect any changes that may take place.

As we now have the capability to include the details of people under the age of 18, their records will also be available for health and social care professionals to view through the Shared Care Record.

 

The benefits to you include:

• Not having to repeat your details every time you have a different episode of care
• Better and potentially faster treatment due to health and social care professionals having access to better information
• Reduction in potential medication errors through clinicians having access to your medication history (past and present)

 

What if I do not want my records to be available through the ICR?

You have the right to object at any time if you are 16 years of age or older.

From the age of 13 to 16, we will consider your right to object if your form has been signed on your behalf by someone with parental responsibility.

If it has not, we will ask a recognised health or care professional if they consider you to be competent to make such a decision. 

If you are under the age of 13, we will only consider your right to object if your form has been signed on your behalf by someone with parental responsibility.

We don’t recommend objecting, as information that could be vital when you need health or social care support – for instance, during a visit to a hospital Emergency Department – might not be immediately to hand as a result.

Objecting will mean the services giving you care will be unable to view your records from other services.

However, the decision is entirely yours. If you do want to object, you can find out how on our Right to Object page.

Please note, the ICR is different to anything you might have said no to before. So, if you don’t want your records to be available to view through it, you’ll need to complete and submit the right to object form.

Please be reassured that we take the security of your information very seriously.