Dear Dr Bhatia,

I am writing in response to your request for information, made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, which was received, on 17^th March, 2009.

Your request was:

Please could you explain why you have removed this information from your opt out form.

The PCT are an early adopter and was asked by CfH to change this wording.

Please could you state the other ways in which you will inform patients that they can get their SCR deleted, and how they can get their SCR deleted.

Patients are advised in the letter what their choices are… if they do not want an SCR, then they can find the opt out form on our web site, they can phone the NHS Care Records Information Line or PALS who will also provide one or they can get one from their GPs. They need to fill this out and return to their GPS. For our mail local system (SystmOne) a designated member of the Practice will open up the record and set the consent to `Patient does not want a Summary Care Record' when the records are uploaded to the Spine, this setting will stop a record being created or make the current one unavailable. For other systems we use locally, for example EMIS there will be a similar screen which works in the same way. We visit Practices before they start the project to advise them of what they need to do.

Please could you send me the form that patients must now use in SW Essex to get their SCR deleted.

Previously forwarded to you.

The PCT would, however, like to draw your attention to the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005, which sets out rules for allowing individuals, including companies, the right to re-use public sector information for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Should you wish to re-use the information supplied by the PCT, for commercial or non-commercial purposes you must apply, in writing, providing your full contact details, specify which document(s)/information you wish to re-use, and the purposes for which the document(s)/information is to be re-used.

The Trust will respond to your application for re-use within 20 working days.

Yours sincerely

Tim Huggett

Acting Patient Experience & Customer Care Manager

Chief Executive: Pam Court Chair: Derek Morrison

Registered Head Office: Phoenix Court, Christopher Martin Road,

Basildon, Essex, SS14 3HG. Telephone: 01268 705000, Fax: 01268 705100

www.swessexpct.nhs.uk