The BMA also repeated its recent call for opt-out forms to be included with the information being sent to patients, and demanded that comments made by the BMA be withdrawn from a promotional video made by NHS Connecting for Health.
The letter, signed by BMA chair Dr Hamish Muldrum, GP committee chair Dr Laurence Buckman and NHS IT working party chair Dame Deirdre Hine, expresses "our serious concern about the recent accelerated roll out of the Summary Care Record," referring to the decision to introduce SCRs in five strategic health authority areas in December 2009.
It said the BMA has accepted only a limited introduction of SCRs, on the basis of "a further thorough independent evaluation". "We are therefore very surprised and disappointed that a much wider roll out was announced in December 2009 and this is in progress counter to the BMA's position above," it added.
The letter says that "a significant number of members" of the BMA's GP committee are calling for a boycott of uploading patient information onto the Spine to create SCRs. Although it does not go that far, the writers urge the Department of Health to halt SCR introduction in new areas, so that research on its introduction by University College London can be considered.
"Failure to do so will jeopardise the earlier gradual implementation and potentially the whole programme," it adds. "We are deeply disappointed that the current national roll out has bypassed the BMA's views, and ignored our goodwill which we have provided up until now."
The Department of Health denied that the introduction of SCRs was being rushed, as it has taken place over five years. "All patients in England over the age of 16 who are registered with a GP will be written to personally about the introduction of Summary Care Records. We absolutely support the right of any patient to opt out of having a record and have provided various options to make this process straightforward," said a spokesperson.
"Patients have at least 12 weeks to decide if they want to have a Summary Care Record. After this period, they are able to change their mind about having a record at any time," the department added.
The spokesperson pointed out that access to SCRs is open only to healthcare professionals who are directly involved in a patient's care, with the patient's permission, with use of smartcards using Chip and PIN technology and with all accesses recorded so they can be audited.
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