REGISTERING FOR THE NHS APP
NHS login registrations may take longer than usual when there are high numbers of requests. Registrations will be processed as soon as possible, The registration process is handled by the NHS directly and not by Charlton Medical Centre.
Who can use the app?
To use the NHS App you must be:
- Registered with Charlton Medical Centre.
- Aged 13 and over (patients aged between 13 and 15 will need to speak to their practice to set up access).
What are the minimum operating systems for smart phones?
- Android – 5 (Lollipop)
For the best experience on Android, it is recommended to use version 8 (Oreo) - Apple – iSO11 and above
Where can I download the NHS App?
If you have an Apple device (iPhone or iPad), please click HERE
If you have an Android device (Samsung Galaxy, Huawei, Google Pixel etc), please click HERE
I cannot install the NHS app because I do not have a smartphone
If you are unable to install the NHS app because it is not compatible with your phone you can request a printed letter confirming which vaccinations you have received. You will need to call the Covid Helpline on 119 to request a letter. We are unable to supply letters directly from the surgery as this is handled by the NHS directly.
How can I register for an NHS login?
Once you have downloaded the app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store you will be prompted to either sign in with an exisiting NHS login or create a new login - more information on this can be found HERE
How can I prove my identity for registration?
You can prove who you are using photo I.D or Online Services information (see below). Once your NHS app is connected to Charlton Medical Centre you will be able to order repeat medications and also view your SCR (Summary Care Record).
Can I link the NHS App to Charlton Medical Centre without using photo ID?
Yes, we can supply you with the online services information needed to connect the app to Charlton Medical Centre. We will send you an Account ID, Linkage Key/Passphrase and Organisation ID. We can send these details to you via Royal Mail post to your registered address or we can send you an SMS message to a verified mobile phone number.
How can I show that I have had my COVID-19 vaccinations?
In the NHS APP there is a tab called "Your Health" and there is an option you can select for "Check your COVID-19 vaccine record". This page will show which vaccines you have had, the date they were given and also the batch number and manufacture of the vaccine. This information will display on your app as long as you have linked your app to Charlton Medical Centre. You do NOT need access to your full coded medical record to access your vaccination status.
How can I access my full medical record using the NHS app?
In order for us to enable access to your full medical record we will need you to visit one of our surgeries and show us one form of photo ID, e.g. Passport, Driving License, Citizen Card. You can come to the reception desk at the Surgery and once we have seen a verified ID we will be able to activate access to your full record.
But I have already scanned and shown my ID while joining my NHS app to Charlton Medical Centre?
This step is a separate process required by NHS digital when linking your app to your GP surgery. We ask patients to show us their ID in person for security checks and to ensure only verified patients can access their full medical record.
Can the NHS App be used outside of the UK?
If you are registered with a GP surgery in England, you can use the app anywhere outside of the UK.
I have connected my NHS App to my health record with Charlton Medical Centre, but I cannot see my vaccinations?
The NHS App will be using a service called NIMS to determine the status of your COVID-19 vaccinations. Once you have been to a vaccination site the data will be uploaded to NIMS and is usually available within 24 hours. It is expected that there will be a very high volume of patients trying to use the NHS App at the same time so some delays may occur at particularly busy times. If you are still unable to see your vaccinations, you will need to contact the Covid Helpline on 119.
Where can I find the NHS App’s privacy policy?
You can access the Privacy Policy HERE
I have found a problem with a feature of the NHS App
Problems with the NHS app can be submitted to NHS Digital directly HERE
If you think you may be missing an item on your record or if you are unable to order a repeat medication then please contact the surgery on 01952 620138.
You may not see a repeat prescription listed if:
- it was issued more than 6 months ago
- it was prescribed at a hospital or other secondary care centre
- it was issued at a time when you lived outside of England
You may not be able to order some prescription items if:
- you need a medicine review
- it’s too early to order your medicine
- it’s an acute (short-term) or one-off prescription
- it has already been requested
FULL ONLINE ACCESS TO RECORDS
The NHS wants to give people better ways to see their personal health information online. We know that people want to be able to access their health records. It can help you see test results faster and it also lets you read and review notes from your appointments in your own time. The NHS plan is that from 1 November if you are over 16 years of age and have an online account through the NHS App, or another online primary care service, you will be able to see all future notes and heath records from your GP.
We have decided, based on the information that we have from NHS England, our clinical system provider (EMIS), our Integrated Care Board, our Data Protection Officer and listening to advice from The British Medical Association and our Local Medical Committee, that there remains uncertainty surrounding the safety and security of this service and therefore we will not be offering automatic prospective access to consultation text and documents without prior review by a clinician. As Data Controllers, we seek to reassure you that implementing the service in a controlled way is important for the safety and security of all our patients. We will continue to keep our protocols and systems under review and we will keep you updated via our website.
If you already have access to certain parts of your medical information through the NHS App, or similar service, you should see no change to the information that you can see. However, we won’t know for sure if this is the case until 1 November. If you experience a change in the information that you can see through the NHS App, or similar service, please let us know by emailing charlton.reception@nhs.net or phoning Reception on 01952 620138.
1) HOW TO REQUEST FULL ONLINE ACCESS
To request Full Online Access to your records, please complete the application form which can be found HERE. The application form is also available to collect from Reception.
Please bring your completed form to Reception where a member of the team will verify your identity. A code will be added to your records “Patient Registration Data Verified” and your request will be forwarded to a clinician for review. We will endeavour to review all requests within 28 days but this may take longer depending on the number of applications we receive. We will contact you once your request has been reviewed and advise you accordingly.
2) WHAT WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SEE
- Acute Medication
- Temporary and limited medication for a short-term condition
- Prescribed for something new until reviewed as appropriate for continued (repeat) prescribing
- Cannot be ordered through an app
- Repeat Medication
- Ongoing medication for a chronic illness or long-term condition
- You can order repeat medications through your phone app
- Consultations
- Following any interaction with a member of the Practice Team, details of that interaction/conversation will be recorded in your record. Some administrative conversations may also be recorded
- Only consultations recorded after the 1st November will be visible to you
- Consultations are primarily designed to communicate in the most effective way, to the next clinician reading them, what is required for your continued care.
- Every clinician is an independent practitioner with different backgrounds, specialities, experiences, and ongoing professional training. As such there is no one correct way to record a consultation and each clinician will do so in the way they see as best for the patients care
- When reading a consultation, it may not all make sense to you, but it will to other clinicians and staff viewing your records for your care
- Sometimes the details of a consultation may present risk to the patient or a third party and in these cases, we may choose to hide this from the online access
- PLEASE NOTE : We cannot amend the content of a past consultation, even based on a patient’s request to do so. If a Factual error has been made, this can be documented separately in the record. A differing opinion to that of a clinician does not constitute an error
- Problem Headings
- Within a consultation, details of a diagnosis or illness are recorded as a ‘problem’
- Recording problems allows us to ensure you receive the best ongoing care for that problem through processes such as annual reviews
- PLEASE NOTE : A problem heading is used for administrative purposes and can be used to cover a wide range of conditions, some of which are not serious
- Lab Results
- The results of tests such as Blood tests, Xrays or ECGs will be visible after the update
- Without a clinical understanding of these results and the context around them including other relevant factors, it is easy to be confused or worried about them, especially if you see them before a clinician has had a chance to review them and speak to you
- We will contact you to discuss ABNORMAL results. We do not routinely contact patients to advise of normal results
- Contacting us to discuss your results will not speed up the process and creates additional work for the practice which can delay care for others. Please wait for us to contact you
- Our reception team are not trained to interpret results but may be asked by a clinician to pass on information to a patient regarding them
- Documents
- Letters we receive from outside organisations regarding your care will be visible to you
- Letters we send to you or on your behalf (e.g. referrals) will be visible to you
- Allergies
- Any allergies we have recorded for you will be visible regardless of when they were inputted onto your record
3) DATA PROTECTION AND SAFEGUARDING
Please contact the surgery immediately at charlton.reception@nhs.net or on 01952 620138 if :
- You see information that is not about you or is factually inaccurate
- If you feel under pressure (coerced) to give access to someone else. If someone else currently has access to your online medical records, please consider the impact of all the above on your personal situation
4) UNDERSTANDING YOUR MEDICAL RECORD
You can view some commonly used abbreviations HERE, which may help you understand your records.
5) REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO YOUR RECORDS
Upon reviewing your records, you may feel that certain notes made by our clinicians are incorrect and you may wish to request that they are amended/removed.
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 state that an individual has the ‘right to be forgotten’, which is sometimes called the ‘right to erasure’, however medical records are slightly different in that they hold special category data. The GP’s (or other clinician’s) opinion at the time will not alter, therefore we cannot remove information simply at the patient’s request.
In line with the General Medical Council’s (GMC) guidance, Doctors have an obligation to:
- Keep clear, accurate and legible records
- Make records at the time the events happen, or as soon as possible afterwards
Source: https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/good-medical-practice—english-20200128_pdf-51527435.pdf
The NHS constitution states that as a patient, “You have the right to have any factual inaccuracies in your health record corrected, however there are limited exceptions to this right, there is no obligation to amend something in a health record that is a professional opinion”, i.e. the GP’s opinion at the time.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supplements-to-the-nhs-constitution-for-england/the-handbook-to-the-nhs-constitution-for-england#patients-and-the-public-your-rights-and-the-nhs-pledges-to-you
This also applies to data that forms part of your medical record, for example letters and forms issued by other Healthcare organisations involved in your care that have supplied copies to us as your General Practice/registered GP. Data on your record is only to be used in relation to direct care purposes, and if considered to be used for anything else, it would need to have the relevant lawful basis and other data protection principles applied.
Should you request any corrections or redactions we will review your request and if we decide we are not able to comply we will inform you of this decision. We will also ensure we add details of your request to your record and the reasons why we have not been able to comply. Please make any such requests to the Practice in writing.
Whilst we will endeavour to respond in a timely manner to any queries about your records, please bear in mind that we must prioritise our workload and deal with patients that are unwell and need us. Please do not use appointments purely to request something is removed from or changed within your notes. As above, please contact us in writing and we will liaise with the clinical team and respond within an appropriate time frame – as with most administrative requests this can be up to 28 days.
ONE HEALTH AND CARE RECORD
Did you know? From summer 2021, everyone’s health and social care records in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin will be available on the new integrated care record ‘One Health and Care’.
Completely confidential and secure, it’s designed to help doctors, nurses and other registered health and social care professionals directly involved in your care to make better, safer decisions. The information that they will be able to see includes:
• Your name, date of birth, sex, address, telephone number, NHS number
• The name of your GP Practice and GP
• Medications, allergies, ongoing and historic conditions, immunisations and diagnoses
• Test results, hospital referrals, admissions, discharges and clinics attended
• Social and mental health information and care plans
Sensitive information such as attendance at sexual health clinics, fertility treatment records, and records relating to gender reassignment will not be included.
During summer 2021, all GP practices within Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin will have access to One Health and Care along with the following organisations:
• Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
• Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Shropshire Council (Social care)
• Telford and Wrekin Council (Social care)
• Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
• Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital
Raising an Objection
If you are happy for your records to be available on One Health and Care to health and social care professionals, you do not need to do anything. Alternatively, if you wish to object, you can contact your GP practice and they can record your objection for you or you can download the opt out form HERE and return it to your GP Practice.
For more information, contact:
W: onehealthandcare.com
E: onehealthandcare@nhs.net
NATIONAL DATA USE OPT-OUT
What is the national data use opt out?
NHS Digital have rolled out a national data opt-out that allows patients to choose how their confidential patient information can be used. This is due to plans to use patient data for purposes beyond their individual care and treatment – specifically for research and planning across the NHS. If patients do not want their data to be used in this way, they can opt out. NHS Digital recently confirmed that the deadline to opt out has been extended to 30 September 2021.
Is the national opt-out linked to One Health and Care - Integrated Care record?
The national data opt-out is not linked to the Integrated Care Record.
Raising an Objection
National data opt-outs can be set by patients themselves. There is no need to contact a GP practice. The easiest way is to download the NHS app and do it through that, but all of the ways that a patient can opt-out are outlined by clicking the below link:
Setting or changing a national data opt-out choice - NHS Digital
SUMMARY CARE RECORD
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I know if I have one?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS Care records website
CARE DATA

Information about you and the care you receive is shared, in a secure system, by healthcare staff to support your treatment and care.
It is important that we, the NHS, can use this information to plan and improve services for all patients. We would like to link information from all the different places where you receive care, such as your GP, hospital and community service, to help us provide a full picture. This will allow us to compare the care you received in one area against the care you received in another, so we can see what has worked best.
Information such as your postcode and NHS number, but not your name, will be used to link your records in a secure system, so your identity is protected. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning health services, to make sure we provide the best care possible for everyone.
You have a choice. If you are happy for your information to be used in this way you do not have to do anything. If you have any concerns or wish to prevent this from happening, please speak to practice staff or download the opt out form below, complete it and return it to the practice
We need to make sure that you know this is happening and the choices you have.
How information about you helps us to provide better care
Care Data - Frequently Asked Questions
Opt Out Form - Download, Complete and return to the practice
You can find out more on the NHS England Care Data Website