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Patients2024-03-25T14:36:16+00:00
The Great North Care Record (GNCR) improves the health and care provided to patients in the North East and North Cumbria, covering a population of over 3.2 million people by providing your carers with your up to date health and care information when they have a responsibility for your care.
Patients
The Great North Care Record (GNCR) improves the health and care provided to patients in the North East and North Cumbria, covering a population of over 3.2 million people by providing your carers with your up to date health and care information when they have a responsibility for your care.
Patients
The Great North Care Record (GNCR) improves the health and care provided to patients in the North East and North Cumbria, covering a population of over 3.2 million people.
Patients

It does this by making patient information which is stored across different systems available at the point of care. A patient’s GP, local hospital, social worker, community, or mental health team all hold different electronic records.

This means their complete health and care record is fragmented, with data held in different places. The GNCR joins the pieces of the puzzle together and allows health and care professionals to see a more complete picture of your medical history.

It does this by making patient information which is stored across different systems available at the point of care. A patient’s GP, local hospital, social worker, community, or mental health team all hold different electronic records.

This means their complete health and care record is fragmented, with data held in different places. The GNCR joins the pieces of the puzzle together and allows health and care professionals to see a more complete picture of your medical history.

Benefits of Sharing Your Care Records

Practitioners spend less time searching for patient data

Patient information is available more clearly and quicker

Provides a complete picture of a patient’s medical history

Benefits of Sharing Your Care Records

Practitioners spend less time searching for patient data

Patient information is available more clearly and quicker

Provides a complete picture of a patient’s medical history

Benefits of Sharing Your Care Records

Practitioners spend less time searching for patient data

Patient information is available more clearly and quicker

Provides a complete picture of a patient’s medical history

How Your Information
is Protected

By law, everyone working in, or on behalf of health and social care organisations, must respect patient privacy and keep all information safe. The Great North Care Record uses a secure and encrypted system that meets NHS security standards.

The system keeps an audit trail of everyone who has accessed, a patient’s record, the time and date when they accessed it and the information they were viewing. The laws on data protection are clear and we take them very seriously. Each organisation connecting to the Great North Care Record has strict policies and protocols to prevent inappropriate access and records can only be accessed for direct care purposes.

Opting Out

You can choose for your health and care information to not be provided to your current health and care team via the Great North Care Record.

Everyone living in the North East and North Cumbria is automatically opted-in to their medical record being accessible via the Great North Care Record, unless they have previously opted out of sharing GP records. If you are happy for your records to be available, you don’t need to take any action.

Risks of Opting Out

We want anyone who does opt out, to understand that it could negatively impact the care the NHS and adult social care services can provide. Please be aware, opting out may make your care harder and less efficient.  If health and care staff can’t access your medical record:

It might mean that tests or investigations are repeated because results from other organisations can’t be accessed.

You may need to repeat the same information to different staff.

The staff treating you won’t be able to see what has happened to you in different parts of the NHS. They will only be able to see the record in their organisation such as that particular hospital or GP practice.

They might not know what medication you are taking.

It may delay treatments.

It will not stop health and care staff contacting one another to ask questions about your history.

You may not be able to share details about your medical history if you arrive at hospital.

How to opt out

If you choose to opt out, you are only opting out electronic sharing of your medical record through the Great North Care Record. There are other information sharing projects out there such as the Summary Care Record. As these are all operated and managed separately, you need to opt out of each one individually.

Having read the risks of opting out above, if you still want to opt out of the Great North Care Record, you can speak to our helpline team on 0344 811 9587, email the team (gncarerecord@nhs.net) so they can do this for you, or complete this online form. The helpline is open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. You can also speak to the helpline if you have any questions.

You will need to provide us with your name, date of birth, and NHS Number so we can opt you out. You can complete this postal opt out form if you would prefer.

If you have changed your mind, you can complete this form to opt back in.

FAQs

What kind of information is made available?2023-10-02T19:43:21+00:00

The type of information accessible includes: 

Alerts, Appointments, Allergies, Cellular pathology, Clinical correspondence, Diagnosis, Family history, Immunisations, Lab results, Maternity reports, Medications, Microbiology, Physical exams, Problems, Procedures, Radiology / scans, Referrals, Social history, Test results, Visits, Vital signs 

Which organisations have signed up to the GNCR?2023-11-03T11:38:59+00:00

The GNCR team work closely with healthcare trusts, local authorities, out of hours providers, and hospices across the region to connect them to the Health Information Exchange (HIE) and make data available. 

GNCR staff remain in close contact with primary and secondary care organisations to ensure that data sharing is to a high standard across the board. 

All NHS Trusts in the North East and North Cumbria are currently connected to the GNCR, or are in the process of becoming live on the system. To view an up-to-date list of which organisations share and access data via the GNCR, visit the Health Information Exchange section of the Great North Care Record website. 

Who can amend or add information to my Great North Care Record?2023-10-02T19:46:55+00:00

Only individuals involved in a patient’s care in the North East and North Cumbria can access or amend their record. The Great North Care Record is a ‘view only’ system which shows what information is held about patients in different places. 

Can I access my medical records?2023-10-18T14:42:30+00:00

Yes. The Data Protection Act 2018 allows the public to find out what information is held about them, on computer and in certain manual records. This is known as ‘right of subject access’ and applies to health and social care records. 

If you want to find out what information a care organisation has about you, you can contact that organisation directly and request this from them.  To do this, go to the website of the organisation in question (your hospital, GP, care organisation etc) and look for ‘access to my record’. Information on each individual organisation’s process will be published on the site. 

Remember – joined up care records are health and care information from other organisations, displayed in one place, so that each organisation can work together to care for patients. For more information about making a Subject Access Request visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website. 

What if I don’t want my information to be available on the Great North Care Record?2023-11-10T13:24:34+00:00

Using the Great North Care Record makes it easier for us to provide the best care and support for you and provides you with a better experience. Your record is automatically available for staff involved in your care to access. If you would prefer your record not to be made available please contact us on 0344 811 9587 or email gncarerecord@nhs.net, or refer to the opt-out section on the Patients page for more information. 

How have you involved patients in how the Great North Care Record has been developed?2023-11-03T11:39:49+00:00

We are committed to listening to the views of people living in our region. 

We commissioned two large pieces of research to understand how patients feel about their healthcare record being shared. One was a YouGov poll of 800 local people, the other was 25 focus groups held around the region to get into the details and hear about people’s ideas, concerns, and issues. Both reports were commissioned and analysed independently by researchers at Teesside and Newcastle Universities. 

What is the legal basis for making patient records available?2023-11-10T13:25:28+00:00

The processing of personal data for the provision of direct care is supported under the Regulations in: 

  • Article 6 (1)(e) ‘necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and in the exercise of official authority’
  • Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or management of health or social care systems.’
  • Request that they be opted out of the Great North Care Record – contact our helpline on 0344 811 9587, email us, or refer to the opt-out section on the Patients page
  • Allow them to be automatically opted in – if you are happy with this, you will not have to do anything further

As health professionals, we believe that better sharing of information will mean safer care, so we hope that most people will remain opted in. If a guardian, carer, or person with power of attorney requests to have someone opted out of record sharing, their request is considered by the patient’s GP. The GP would make the final decision in the patient’s best interests. 

Do staff have to ask permission to access my record?2023-10-02T20:49:45+00:00

Legally no, your patient record can be viewed and shared without your permission. The legal basis is outlined above. When the Great North Care Record was introduced, we had a ‘permission to view’ policy. That meant that every time an A&E doctor or mental health practitioner accessed your GP record, they had to ask permission. As the region has moved on and adopted the sharing of medical information – we have moved away from this model. This model becomes increasingly difficult to sustain as we extend record sharing to more services. We have talked about why we changed our policy in this blog.

What is your privacy notice?2023-11-03T11:43:30+00:00

Each organisation who accesses and makes data available on the Great North Care Record has its own privacy/fair processing notice which covers how data is shared and reflects their use of the Great North Care Record.

The Great North Care Record itself does not hold, host, or share any data. However, working with information governance experts from around the region – we have produced a template statement about how data processing is facilitated by the Great North Care Record.

I am a parent/guardian or have power of attorney for someone and I don’t want their records to be made available. What do I need to do?2023-10-02T20:50:13+00:00

You can request that someone you are responsible for is opted out. This request is considered by your GP, who will make the final decision. While your GP will respect your views and may wish to discuss them with you, they could decide that it is right that details are shared. This is usually based on patient safety and providing the most appropriate care. 

Note on Lasting Power of Attorney 

There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) 1.) property and affairs (including financial matters) and 2.) health and care (including healthcare and consent to medical treatment). An LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) before it can be used. 

Attorneys must meet the requirements set out in the Mental Capacity Act. The Code of Practice states that, most importantly, they must follow the statutory principles. They must make decisions in the best interests of the person who lacks capacity to make that specific decision. Sometimes it may be necessary to make an application to the Court of Protection for more difficult decisions. This could be where disagreements can’t be resolved, or where ongoing decisions need to be made. 

The Court of Protection is the specialist Court which was established under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. It deals with issues relating to people who lack capacity to make specific decisions for them. The Court can make decisions on whether people have capacity in relation to particular decisions and make decisions on their behalf. It can also appoint or remove people who make decisions on people’s behalf, and make decisions relating to Lasting Powers of Attorney or Enduring Powers of Attorney. See the Citizens Advice website for more information. 

What about people who do not have the mental capacity to understand the Great North Care Record or the opt-out process?2023-11-03T11:44:52+00:00

If you are a guardian, carer or have power of attorney, you will have two choices: 

  • Request that they be opted out of the Great North Care Record – contact our helpline on 0344 811 9587, email us, or visit our opt out page
  • Allow them to be automatically opted in – if you are happy with this, you will not have to do anything further

As health professionals, we believe that better sharing of information will mean safer care, so we hope that most people will remain opted in. If a guardian, carer, or person with power of attorney requests to have someone opted out of record sharing, their request is considered by the patient’s GP. The GP would make the final decision in the patient’s best interests. 

FAQs

What kind of information is made available?2023-10-02T19:43:21+00:00

The type of information accessible includes: 

Alerts, Appointments, Allergies, Cellular pathology, Clinical correspondence, Diagnosis, Family history, Immunisations, Lab results, Maternity reports, Medications, Microbiology, Physical exams, Problems, Procedures, Radiology / scans, Referrals, Social history, Test results, Visits, Vital signs 

Which organisations have signed up to the GNCR?2023-11-03T11:38:59+00:00

The GNCR team work closely with healthcare trusts, local authorities, out of hours providers, and hospices across the region to connect them to the Health Information Exchange (HIE) and make data available. 

GNCR staff remain in close contact with primary and secondary care organisations to ensure that data sharing is to a high standard across the board. 

All NHS Trusts in the North East and North Cumbria are currently connected to the GNCR, or are in the process of becoming live on the system. To view an up-to-date list of which organisations share and access data via the GNCR, visit the Health Information Exchange section of the Great North Care Record website. 

Who can amend or add information to my Great North Care Record?2023-10-02T19:46:55+00:00

Only individuals involved in a patient’s care in the North East and North Cumbria can access or amend their record. The Great North Care Record is a ‘view only’ system which shows what information is held about patients in different places. 

Can I access my medical records?2023-10-18T14:42:30+00:00

Yes. The Data Protection Act 2018 allows the public to find out what information is held about them, on computer and in certain manual records. This is known as ‘right of subject access’ and applies to health and social care records. 

If you want to find out what information a care organisation has about you, you can contact that organisation directly and request this from them.  To do this, go to the website of the organisation in question (your hospital, GP, care organisation etc) and look for ‘access to my record’. Information on each individual organisation’s process will be published on the site. 

Remember – joined up care records are health and care information from other organisations, displayed in one place, so that each organisation can work together to care for patients. For more information about making a Subject Access Request visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website. 

What if I don’t want my information to be available on the Great North Care Record?2023-11-10T13:24:34+00:00

Using the Great North Care Record makes it easier for us to provide the best care and support for you and provides you with a better experience. Your record is automatically available for staff involved in your care to access. If you would prefer your record not to be made available please contact us on 0344 811 9587 or email gncarerecord@nhs.net, or refer to the opt-out section on the Patients page for more information. 

How have you involved patients in how the Great North Care Record has been developed?2023-11-03T11:39:49+00:00

We are committed to listening to the views of people living in our region. 

We commissioned two large pieces of research to understand how patients feel about their healthcare record being shared. One was a YouGov poll of 800 local people, the other was 25 focus groups held around the region to get into the details and hear about people’s ideas, concerns, and issues. Both reports were commissioned and analysed independently by researchers at Teesside and Newcastle Universities. 

What is the legal basis for making patient records available?2023-11-10T13:25:28+00:00

The processing of personal data for the provision of direct care is supported under the Regulations in: 

  • Article 6 (1)(e) ‘necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and in the exercise of official authority’
  • Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or management of health or social care systems.’
  • Request that they be opted out of the Great North Care Record – contact our helpline on 0344 811 9587, email us, or refer to the opt-out section on the Patients page
  • Allow them to be automatically opted in – if you are happy with this, you will not have to do anything further

As health professionals, we believe that better sharing of information will mean safer care, so we hope that most people will remain opted in. If a guardian, carer, or person with power of attorney requests to have someone opted out of record sharing, their request is considered by the patient’s GP. The GP would make the final decision in the patient’s best interests. 

Do staff have to ask permission to access my record?2023-10-02T20:49:45+00:00

Legally no, your patient record can be viewed and shared without your permission. The legal basis is outlined above. When the Great North Care Record was introduced, we had a ‘permission to view’ policy. That meant that every time an A&E doctor or mental health practitioner accessed your GP record, they had to ask permission. As the region has moved on and adopted the sharing of medical information – we have moved away from this model. This model becomes increasingly difficult to sustain as we extend record sharing to more services. We have talked about why we changed our policy in this blog.

What is your privacy notice?2023-11-03T11:43:30+00:00

Each organisation who accesses and makes data available on the Great North Care Record has its own privacy/fair processing notice which covers how data is shared and reflects their use of the Great North Care Record.

The Great North Care Record itself does not hold, host, or share any data. However, working with information governance experts from around the region – we have produced a template statement about how data processing is facilitated by the Great North Care Record.

I am a parent/guardian or have power of attorney for someone and I don’t want their records to be made available. What do I need to do?2023-10-02T20:50:13+00:00

You can request that someone you are responsible for is opted out. This request is considered by your GP, who will make the final decision. While your GP will respect your views and may wish to discuss them with you, they could decide that it is right that details are shared. This is usually based on patient safety and providing the most appropriate care. 

Note on Lasting Power of Attorney 

There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) 1.) property and affairs (including financial matters) and 2.) health and care (including healthcare and consent to medical treatment). An LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) before it can be used. 

Attorneys must meet the requirements set out in the Mental Capacity Act. The Code of Practice states that, most importantly, they must follow the statutory principles. They must make decisions in the best interests of the person who lacks capacity to make that specific decision. Sometimes it may be necessary to make an application to the Court of Protection for more difficult decisions. This could be where disagreements can’t be resolved, or where ongoing decisions need to be made. 

The Court of Protection is the specialist Court which was established under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. It deals with issues relating to people who lack capacity to make specific decisions for them. The Court can make decisions on whether people have capacity in relation to particular decisions and make decisions on their behalf. It can also appoint or remove people who make decisions on people’s behalf, and make decisions relating to Lasting Powers of Attorney or Enduring Powers of Attorney. See the Citizens Advice website for more information. 

What about people who do not have the mental capacity to understand the Great North Care Record or the opt-out process?2023-11-03T11:44:52+00:00

If you are a guardian, carer or have power of attorney, you will have two choices: 

  • Request that they be opted out of the Great North Care Record – contact our helpline on 0344 811 9587, email us, or visit our opt out page
  • Allow them to be automatically opted in – if you are happy with this, you will not have to do anything further

As health professionals, we believe that better sharing of information will mean safer care, so we hope that most people will remain opted in. If a guardian, carer, or person with power of attorney requests to have someone opted out of record sharing, their request is considered by the patient’s GP. The GP would make the final decision in the patient’s best interests. 

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