Sutton Council and NHS Sutton CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) are working together to link residents’ health and social care information to provide them with the best-possible care.

The Sutton Integrated Digital Care Record (Sutton IDCR) is a secure electronic record that brings together health and social care for patients registered with a Sutton GP. It is due to start being created in November.

Sutton IDCR will share information from residents’ GP and social care records with local Urgent Care, Accident and Emergency, GP out-of-hours service and community health services. Health records will be available for adults and children, but social care records will initially only be available for adults.

Health and social care professionals who need to look at a record must have the patient’s permission to view their information, unless there is a medical emergency and the person is so unwell that they are unable to give consent.

Local people can opt out of the Sutton IDCR if they want to and their health and social care information will not be available in the new system. To opt out, people should speak to their GP.

Social care clients will be asked to give their explicit consent in writing before their information is added to the Sutton IDCR.

Cllr Colin Stears, Chair of the Adult Social Services and Health Committee at Sutton Council, said:

“Sutton IDCR is an innovative new system to improve the health and social care of patients in the borough that will enable social care and health colleagues to work together to improve patient care across the borough. By sharing patient information between social care and health colleagues, our residents will be able to get smarter, more effective support. Health providers will be able to access vital details at the touch of a button including social care support plans, and details of allergies, diagnosis and medication. Sutton Council is writing to residents being supported by Adult Social Care Services to make them aware of the Sutton IDCR and to ask for their written consent to share their social care information.”

Dr Mark Wells, local GP and Clinical Lead for Acute and Urgent Care at NHS Sutton CCG, said: 

“Local GPs are very supportive of this new initiative in Sutton. Having access to important information about a patient’s allergies, existing medical conditions and the medicines they are taking will help doctors at Epsom and St Helier Hospitals (for example in the Emergency Department) provide the best care and advice possible.NHS Sutton CCG and Sutton Council will be undertaking a publicity campaign to promote the Sutton IDCR across the borough.”

For more information visit www.sutton.gov.uk or www.suttonccg.nhs.uk