Shared care records have been a game-changer for both healthcare professionals and patients. Since the original steps towards integrated and modern shared care records, the idea of allowing uniform and easy access to patient data has been helping to improve patient care, reduce costs and identify those most at risk.

From using population health data with fuel poverty insights to potentially identifying tens of thousands of children at risk of breathing problems to saving hundreds of thousands of staff hours annually, shared care records have been playing a huge role in the ever-changing face of healthcare in England.

From fragmented records to seamless care

Over the past few decades, the concept of integrated care has rapidly evolved. At its heart lies the Shared Care Record (ShCR): digital records that allow health and care professionals to securely access essential patient information across different services and in numerous settings.

As we mark a milestone in 2025 — five years since the first national push for mandatory basic Shared Care Records — it’s important to reflect on the journey so far: where it began, how it’s evolved, and the transformative impact ShCRs have had on healthcare outcomes, clinical efficiency, and the patient experience.

The Evolution of Shared Care Records: A Timeline

The modern-day shared care record has evolved and adapted over time, adjusting to the industry’s needs and technical limits.

Early 2000s: The Birth of Summary Care Records (SCRs)

The first national step toward shared records came with the Summary Care Record (SCR), introduced in the early 2000s.

Developed by NHS Connecting for Health, these aimed to provide healthcare professionals with basic patient information, including medications, allergies, and adverse reactions, particularly in urgent or emergency care scenarios.

Though initially met with concerns around privacy and consent, SCRs laid the foundation for future initiatives by establishing both the technology and the trust model needed for shared records.

Mid-2010s: Local Health and Care Record Exemplars (LHCREs)

Recognising the need for more comprehensive and regional sharing of data, NHS England launched the Local Health and Care Record Exemplars (LHCREs) programme in 2018.

These pilot sites demonstrated how integrated data across primary, secondary, mental health, community, and social care could support population health management and real-time care decisions.

LHCREs brought a shift from static, limited datasets to dynamic, real-time access — a significant leap forward in achieving joined-up care.

2020s: Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and Connecting Care Records (ConCR)

By the early 2020s, the introduction of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) formalised collaboration between the NHS and social care organisations.

To support this, the national Connecting Care Records (ConCR) programme was launched - a framework designed to help ICSs develop and connect existing data systems.

Through this programme, ICSs were able to implement Shared Care Records: region-wide systems that enable authorised professionals to access a joined-up view of a person’s health and care information, supporting everything from clinical decision-making to safeguarding.

All 42 ICSs have had operational Shared Care Records in place since March 2025, covering over 63 million patients. This nationwide implementation reflects a seismic shift in how care is delivered — collaborative, data-driven, and centred on patient needs.

Graphnet’s Role in Shaping the Future of Shared Care

As a leader in health technology, Graphnet has been instrumental in the evolution of Shared Care Records. From developing technical infrastructure to enabling real-time data exchange, Graphnet’s solutions underpin some of the most successful and innovative ShCR implementations in the UK. 

The following case studies highlight how these systems are transforming care delivery across different regions, improving outcomes, enhancing efficiency, and supporting more joined-up working across health and social care.

Greater Manchester Care Record: 

Serving a population of 2.8 million, the GM Care Record enables real-time sharing of health and care information across all 10 localities in the region with 380,000+ patient records accessed monthly. It brings together data from GPs, hospitals, mental health, community, and social care services into a single, secure system.

Initially scaled up during the COVID-19 pandemic to support urgent care and vaccination efforts, it now underpins a wide range of initiatives from cardiovascular disease prevention to urgent and emergency care coordination.

Widely used by frontline staff, it’s helping to reduce data duplication, improve clinical decision-making, and enable more joined-up, proactive care across Greater Manchester.

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Black Country One Health and Care:

Serving the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, the One Health and Care Shared Care Record now provides frontline staff with instant access to vital GP and hospital data.

Previously, most teams relied on time-consuming emails and phone calls, often facing delays of several hours or even days. With the Shared Care Record in place, information is available in seconds, freeing up staff to focus more time on safeguarding vulnerable children and adults.

Read more →

How Shared Care Records Have Made a Difference

1. Clinical Outcomes

• In Greater Manchester, the proactive identification of almost 20,000 patients for cholesterol therapies helped prevent 80 cardiovascular events over five years, saving £2 million.
• Personalised medicine enabled by ShCRs has helped prevent 370 heart attacks and strokes annually, resulting in savings of over £9 million.

2. Operational Efficiency

• In the Black Country, the shared care system saved 122,200 staff hours annually, primarily by streamlining safeguarding processes.
• ShCRs reduce duplicate tests and cut down unnecessary appointments, alleviating pressure on A&E and inpatient services.

3. Patient Experience

Challenges and Lessons Learned

While the progress with Shared Care Records has been impressive, several challenges have emerged: 

Data Privacy and Consent:

Patients want assurance that their data is handled responsibly and only shared with appropriate professionals. This has underscored the critical need for transparent policies, robust consent frameworks, and clear communication with the public.

Interoperability:

The healthcare landscape is characterised by a wide variety of IT systems and data formats across primary care, hospitals, mental health services, and social care. Integrating these diverse systems to enable seamless data sharing has required significant investment in common technical standards and collaboration between multiple organisations and vendors.

Change Management:

Introducing ShCRs represents a major change in how health and care professionals access and use patient information. Ensuring frontline staff are confident and competent with the new systems has been essential for successful uptake. This requires ongoing investment in tailored training programmes, user support, and engagement initiatives that listen to staff feedback.

These lessons continue to shape national and local policies, highlighting that trust, usability, and relevance are fundamental pillars of successful Shared Care Records.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Shared Care

The next phase of Shared Care Records is already in motion. Key developments on the horizon include:

Conclusion: A Milestone Worth Celebrating — and Building On

Shared Care Records have come a long way from simple summaries to sophisticated, interoperable platforms. Their evolution represents a broader shift in healthcare: one that prioritises collaboration, data-driven decisions, and the patient at the centre.

Now is the time to build on this foundation — to continue innovating, sharing, and working together toward a truly integrated future. Get In Touch to find out more.