GP Summaries: What They Are, Why We Need Them and How to Provide One

A GP Summary is one of the documents we may ask you to provide during your care with ProblemShared.

This guide explains what a GP Summary is, why we may need one, how to get one, and how to provide it to us.

A GP Summary is a document from your GP practice containing an overview of important information from your medical record.

It should include:

• Your NHS number
• Medical conditions and diagnoses
• Current medications
• Allergies
• Relevant medical history

Your GP practice may use a different name for this document, such as:

• Medical Summary
• Patient Summary
• GP Record Summary
• Summary Care Record printout

The name may vary between GP practices, but these documents generally provide a summary of the information held within your GP record.

A GP Summary helps our clinicians make safe and informed decisions about your care.

If you are accessing our ADHD medication service, our prescribing clinicians will need to review your medical background for clinical suitability.

This helps your clinician identify anything that may affect your treatment, including other health conditions or medicines you are taking.

Important

We must receive your GP Summary before your Treatment Planning Session (TPS) can be booked.

This gives your clinician the information they need to review before your appointment.

If you enter an ADHD medication pathway with ProblemShared, we will normally keep your GP informed about important aspects of your care.

This may include:

• Your treatment plan following your Treatment Planning Session
• Significant changes to your medication
• A summary of your care once your medication has been stabilised

Where appropriate, we may also ask your GP to consider entering into a Shared Care Agreement (SCA) for ongoing prescribing and monitoring.

Some medications can interact with existing treatments or be affected by other medical conditions. Sharing appropriate information helps ensure healthcare professionals involved in your care have access to accurate and up-to-date information.

Keeping your GP informed also helps ensure your GP record reflects the treatment you are receiving. This can be particularly important if you need emergency or unplanned medical care, as healthcare professionals may need to know which medications you are taking before making decisions about your treatment.
 

You can usually get a GP Summary:

1. Directly from your GP surgery - just ask at Reception
2. Through your GP practice's online patient services, where available

If you're unsure which option is available to you, contact your GP surgery and ask how you can obtain a copy of your GP Summary.

Unfortunately, our Medication team is not able to accept medical information from your NHS App.

This is because the information that is accessible through the app can sometimes be incomplete.

Your GP Summary must come from your NHS GP Surgery.

Access to a child's medical record depends on their age and the arrangements in place at their GP practice. 

If your child is 16 or over, they can typically access their medical record themselves, and your GP may ask for their consent if you're requesting their GP Summary on their behalf.

Upload your GP Summary as a PDF through the Medication section of your ProblemShared Dashboard.

Before uploading it, check that:

• All pages are included
• The document is clear and readable
• The information is for the correct person

If you're having difficulty uploading your GP Summary through your Dashboard, or you're unable to convert it to PDF, contact us at help@problemshared.net.

We'll be happy to help.

We understand that getting information from a GP practice can sometimes take time.

If you're having difficulty getting your GP Summary, please let us know as soon as possible.

We can discuss your circumstances with you and advise you about what to do next.