Have you ever had to go to a hospital, whether for a pre-booked appointment or a visit to A&E?

The clinicians treating you will no doubt have had to ask you a lot of questions, such as which medication you are taking, if you have any allergies and which doctor’s surgery you’re registered with.

All those questions are important, but they take a lot of time, which could be better spent treating you and making you feel better.

The hospitals in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull can easily see over 2,000 people a day - that’s a lot of time spent asking questions, filling out forms and potentially repeating information. Sometimes, they may even have to contact your GP to get important information from your medical record. But what happens if they can’t get through? What if your GP is closed? It might lead to delays or overnight stays. Wouldn't it be better if those clinicians could information from your GP record instantly?

Your Care Connected is a new system that enables doctors, nurses and other registered healthcare professionals caring for you to view your medical record instantly and safely, with your permission. It will give them a more complete picture of your health, highlight any ongoing issues you might have, alert them to your current medication, including dosage, inform them which doctor you saw last and much, much more.

• Faster and easier access to your medical information, which could save your life
• Provides information such as any medication you take and the dosage, any allergies you may have, the results of any recent medical tests you've had or which member of GP practice staff you saw last
• Improves the safety and quality of your care, particularly in emergencies
• Less time filling in forms or repeating information
• More secure than the currently used methods of providing patient information (fax and post)