South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) is now securely sharing its service users’ care information through the London Care Record with other frontline health and care professionals in the Capital who are delivering care to them (9 October 2023).

This is helping to ensure that health and care staff who are treating the person in other settings have the information they need, when they need it, to inform their clinical decision making, improving the quality, safety and speed of the care the person receives.

This is an important development for improved health and care across the Capital. SLaM is the first Mental Health Trust to extend data sharing across London, marking a major milestone in the development of the London Care Record which is a single and secure view of a person’s health and care information.

The London Care Record is used by over 80,000 health and care staff in London and some neighbouring areas each month. Only health and social care professionals directly involved in a person’s care are allowed to access the information.

SLaM is one of the country’s largest and most complex multi-site providers of mental health services, with more than 240 services locally for a population of over 1.3 million, and over 41,000 people in the community.

Regionally, SLaM is a founder member of the largest alliance contract in the country in Lambeth, and part of the South London Mental Health and Community Partnership (SLP) to provide more sustainable healthcare for over 3.6 million people in south London. SLaM also provide a wide range of national specialist services for people with complex needs across the country. In total, over 50 services for children and young people, eating disorders, perinatal and maternal mental health as well as national psychosis and national autism units.

Securely sharing a person’s information through the London Care Record ensures that GPs, hospital teams and other health and care staff involved in their care in south east London, and across the wider Capital, can now view important information about them to inform the decisions they make. This is particularly vital during crisis situations and outside of normal working hours and also supports more effective integrated care across the Capital.

The information shared to the London Care Record from SLaM includes details about the teams and staff members involved in a person’s care and how to contact them, recent outpatient appointments/encounters and admissions and discharge information. Some clinical information is also shared, including GP and discharge letters and blood test results.

Barbara Arroyo, Chief Clinical Information Officer at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We are delighted that SLaM is the first Mental Health Trust to share information across the Capital through the London Care Record. We provide care for a large diverse population who at some point are likely to be treated by health and care professionals in other parts of London. Having shared information at the point of care will help us provide better access to holistic integrated care in real time, with shared decisions and crucially deliver better experiences and outcomes for those receiving care.”

Angela Poland, Head of Digital Programmes at South East London ICS, said:

“In South East London ICS we are constantly striving to join up information to improve patient care. We are proud to have helped SLaM become the first Mental Health Trust in the Capital to securely share patient information with other frontline staff in London who are treating them. This is particularly important given that SLaM provide clinical services across London and beyond and is going to make a big and positive difference to the care people receive, ultimately helping to save lives.”