Written question asked by Phyllis Starkey (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 February 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 February 2010. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 March 2010 on behalf of the Department of Health.

NHS: Sight Impaired

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the NHS Summary Care Record system can include information on the preferred alternative format for communication with blind or partially-sighted patients.

Answer: The information in the summary care record (SCR) of patients who choose to have a SCR is initially extracted from the general practitioner's record. Information can then be added and updated by the treating clinician, with the patient's express permission, including any information which the clinician or the patient regard as relevant to management of the patient's health.There is a section in the SCR for demographic information which provides for patients' communication preferences to be recorded, for example, in the case of blind or partially-sighted patients, large print, Braille or audio.

Secondary information