Several community pharmacies in South East London have now been given access to the London Care Record – providing a ‘single and secure’ view of patient information across health and social care.

They join community pharmacies in North East London and South West London, as well as other primary, secondary and community care providers across the capital and surrounding areas.

The London Care Record can include a patient’s name, address, date of birth, appointment information, diagnosed conditions, medication, allergies, test or scan results, referrals, clinical letters and discharge information, and care plans, if and where available.

Neil Karia, superintendent pharmacist at Medica Pharmacy, said that there had been a ‘desperate need’ for community pharmacies to have access to ‘a deeper level of clinical patient information’ in order for the network ‘to truly integrate into the primary care framework and deliver high quality and safe clinical services’.

And Gursaran Singh Matharu, superintendent pharmacist, chair of Community Pharmacy London and chief executive of Community Pharmacy South East London, said granting the access was ‘an important step for patient safety and community pharmacy integration’.

‘Community pharmacists are providing an increasing number of NHS primary care clinical services in their pharmacies, and this access is welcome to ensure patients receive the appropriate treatment plan,’ he said.

And One London – which connects London’s five Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and the London Ambulance Service – noted that giving community pharmacies access via a secure link in PharmOutcomes would make it ‘quick and easy’ to find the patient information they need.

Access to the London Care Record would also save pharmacies ‘valuable time by reducing the need to call GP surgeries or hospitals’ for patient information, One London said.

The first 13 South East London pharmacies were given access to the London Care Record earlier this month, but Angela Poland, associate director of digital programmes at South East London Integrated Care System (ICS) said the access would be extended to more pharmacies in the area ‘over the coming weeks’.

Unifying health and care records into one digital health record could help community pharmacies deliver more screening, vaccination, chronic-condition management and acute care, UK think tank the Tony Blair Institute suggested recently.