How to request your Summary Care Record

There are an estimated 100,000+ medical cannabis patients in the UK. Start with the Patient Guide

How to request your Summary Care Record

Patient records NHS App style screen and prescription items on a clean desk for a Summary Care Record guide

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If a medical cannabis clinic asks for your Summary Care Record, the practical version is simple: start with your GP surgery and your NHS App or NHS account.

This is usually an admin records step. It is not asking your GP to approve medical cannabis. The GP surgery may hold the record a clinic needs, but suitability for medical cannabis is assessed separately by the clinic or specialist prescriber.

For many first eligibility checks, you do not need to gather every letter you have ever received. If your Summary Care Record or recent GP record clearly shows the condition being discussed and the relevant treatments already tried, that may be enough to start. If it does not show enough detail, the clinic can ask for extra notes, letters or reports.

What is a Summary Care Record?

In England, the Summary Care Record, usually shortened to SCR, is a short electronic summary created from your GP medical record. NHS Digital describes it as a record of important patient information, including things like current medicines, allergies and previous bad reactions to medicines.

The SCR can also include additional information, such as long-term conditions, significant medical history or communication needs, unless you have opted out of that additional information being shared.

For a medical cannabis assessment, the useful bit is not the name of the document itself. The useful bit is what it can show:

  • the condition or symptoms being discussed
  • current medicines
  • allergies and adverse reactions
  • previous relevant treatments
  • dates or context that show the treatment history is real

That is why clinics often ask for the SCR or an equivalent GP record summary. They need enough information to assess safely. They should not be relying only on what someone says in a form.

Can I get it through the NHS App?

Possibly, at least partly.

The NHS App and NHS account can show information from your GP health record. Depending on your GP surgery and record settings, you may be able to see medicines, allergies, health conditions, appointment notes, test results and documents.

If you have GP health record access, the NHS says you should be able to see your summary record as a minimum. That summary record contains medicines and allergies. Many people also have access to newer information added to their more detailed GP record, such as letters, test results and appointment notes.

The bit to watch is this: the NHS App may not show everything a clinic wants. Some historical information may not be visible. Some documents may not be uploaded. Some access may need to be switched on by the surgery.

So the NHS App is a good first check, not the only route.

The simple way to request it

Start with the least complicated route.

  1. Check your NHS App or NHS account.
  2. Look for your GP health record, prescriptions, medicines, allergies, health conditions, documents and appointment notes.
  3. If the relevant information is visible, download it, screenshot it only if appropriate, or ask the clinic what format they accept.
  4. If it is not visible, contact your GP surgery admin team and ask for your Summary Care Record or detailed coded record.

You do not need to book a GP appointment just to argue the case for medical cannabis. In most cases, you are asking the surgery team for a copy of information they already hold.

What to say to the GP surgery

Keep it plain. Something like this is enough:

Hello,

Please can I have a copy of my Summary Care Record, or my recent detailed coded GP record if that is the format you provide.

I need it for a private specialist clinic assessment. The clinic needs to see my current medicines, allergies or adverse reactions, relevant health conditions, and previous treatments for [condition].

If possible, please send it as a PDF or let me know the safest way to collect it.

My details are:
Name:
Date of birth:
NHS number, if known:
Address:
Phone/email:

Thank you.

You can change the wording to match your situation. If the clinic has asked for a specific date range, include it. If it only needs the last 12 months and that shows the condition and relevant treatments clearly, say that. If the clinic needs more, it can tell you.

What is usually enough for a first check?

The practical starting point is:

  • your Summary Care Record, or
  • your NHS App summary record plus relevant detailed GP record entries, or
  • a recent detailed coded record from your GP surgery.

For medical cannabis eligibility screening, the clinic normally needs to understand what condition is being discussed and what treatments have already been tried, not your entire life story in paperwork form.

If your record clearly shows the condition and previous relevant treatments, that may be enough for an initial review. For example, if two relevant previous treatments are visible in recent GP record entries, that may give the clinic enough to decide whether the next step is worth exploring.

That is not a promise. A clinic may still ask for hospital letters, specialist reports, imaging reports, mental health notes or older records if the SCR does not show enough detail, or if the risk profile needs more context.

But the order matters. Start with the SCR or GP record summary. Do not assume you need to gather a giant bundle before you even know whether you may qualify.

Is this the same as asking my GP for medical cannabis?

No.

This is the bit that often gets muddled.

Requesting your Summary Care Record is an admin request for your own health information. You are not asking your GP to prescribe medical cannabis. You are not asking your GP to approve a private clinic. You are not asking the receptionist to decide whether you are suitable.

You are asking for a record that helps a separate clinician or clinic assess your case properly.

That boundary matters because medical cannabis prescribing has specific rules. Cannabis-based medicinal products can involve specialist prescribing, controlled-drug governance and review of relevant medical records. The GMC makes clear that doctors need enough relevant information from medical records before prescribing controlled drugs where monitoring and misuse risks matter.

In normal language: the clinic asks for records because safe prescribing needs records.

What if my NHS App only shows medicines and allergies?

That can happen.

The NHS App help page says that if you only have access to your summary record, you can contact your GP surgery and request access to your detailed coded record. That is often the next sensible step.

Ask the surgery for access to the detailed coded record, or for a copy of the relevant part of your GP record showing:

  • active or past relevant conditions
  • current and past medicines
  • allergies and adverse reactions
  • appointment notes or letters linked to the condition
  • previous treatments that did not help, caused problems or were unsuitable

If something is missing or wrong in the NHS App, contact the GP surgery. They are the route for correcting or updating GP record information.

Do I need a subject access request?

Sometimes, but not always.

A subject access request, or SAR, is the formal route for asking an organisation for copies of personal information it holds about you. The ICO says organisations usually have one month to respond, and that being specific about what you need can help you get a more useful response.

A SAR can be useful if you need a wider copy of your GP record or a specific set of historical notes.

But for a first eligibility check, a full SAR is often more than you need. It can produce a lot of information, take longer, and make the process feel heavier than it needs to be.

The practical order is:

  1. Check the NHS App or NHS account.
  2. Ask your GP surgery for your Summary Care Record or detailed coded record.
  3. Send the clinic what it asks for.
  4. Use a SAR only if you genuinely need wider records or the surgery asks you to use that route.

What if I live outside England?

The Summary Care Record is an England-specific NHS record term. If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, ask your GP practice or local health service for the closest equivalent record summary showing your conditions, medicines, allergies, adverse reactions and relevant treatment history.

If you are unsure, ask the clinic exactly what it will accept. Do not guess and spend weeks collecting paperwork it does not need.

A sensible next step

If you are at the records stage, do this first:

  • check what your NHS App or NHS account already shows
  • ask your GP surgery for your Summary Care Record or detailed coded record if needed
  • keep the request focused on the condition and previous treatments relevant to the assessment
  • only gather extra letters or reports if the clinic asks for them

For wider context, MCPH has guides on how the UK medical cannabis prescription process works and medical cannabis qualifying conditions.

This article is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose, assess eligibility, recommend treatment or tell you to start, stop or change any medicine. Suitability for medical cannabis depends on your records, previous treatments, risk factors and clinician assessment. See MCPH's medical disclaimer for the full boundary.

More from the MCPH Patient Guide

Use the MCPH Patient Guide to follow the UK medical cannabis pathway in order, from eligibility and records through to safety, side effects and review questions.

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