Most patients in Scotland now have an Emergency Care Summary (ECS). This contains basic information about your medication that may help NHS staff if you need urgent medical care when your GP surgery is closed, or if you go to an accident and emergency (A&E) department.

Your ECS is copied from your GP’s computer system and stored electronically.

The Key Information Summary (KIS) will contain all the information on the ECS and information you want NHS staff looking after you to know. For example information about:

• your medical condition and treatment
• your carer - their name and phone number
• any wishes you may have about your treatment
• where you would prefer to be cared for
• any wishes about how you would like to be cared for.

Your Key Information Summary will be held at your GP practice. It will only be sent to other health professionals involved in your care if you agree to this.

If you need urgent medical care NHS staff looking after you will be able to look at your Key Information Summary. For example, doctors, nurses, paramedics, staff in out of hours centres, and in hospitals (including accident and emergency (A&E) departments and Emergency Admissions). When you call NHS 24, the nurse advisors will be able to look at your Key Information Summary.

In the future, ambulance staff may also be able to look at your Key Information Summary.

The NHS will store your Key Information Summary electronically using the highest standards of security.

Only staff involved with your care will be able to look at your Key Information Summary.

You could benefit from a Key Information Summary if you:

• have a long term condition, especially if you take a lot of medicines and see different specialists
• need a carer or family member to help you at home
• are likely to need care at the weekend or out of hours
• may find it difficult to speak for yourself in an emergency because you are unwell, or because you have a communication or memory problem, a mental health issue or learning disability.

Your GP can create a Key Information Summary for you.

This could happen after you have discussed your medical needs and conditions with your GP.

You can ask your next of kin or your carer to be involved in this discussion.

Sometimes a Doctor or other Health Professional may contact your GP to ask them to create or update your KIS record after a discussion with them.

The law allows the NHS to share personal health information without permission, for example to protect a child or vulnerable adult from harm, or to be able to share information for patient with complex anticipatory needs.

You can ask your GP for a copy of your Key Information Summary.

If you think any of the information in your Key Information Summary is wrong, you can ask your GP practice if it can be changed.

At the moment, only your GP practice can do this.

You should tell your GP practice if any of your information changes – for example your name, address or phone number.

In the future, it may be possible for you or other health service staff to make changes to your Key Information Summary.