Access to my medical records.

[jackieB]

Anyone any idea how I go about it. I understand that now, due to the freedom of information act I can do that. Unsure who or how to go about it?. Thanks.

[ian cognito]

Just ask your doctor, mine where more than happy to go through mine with me!

If they're held at a hospital you need to approach them and it may be a bit more difficult but just because of time constraints (apparently they're busy people)

Interestingly, the Doctor who took over from Harold Shipman is launching a website where patients can access their own records on the web! Well done that doctor!!! He's hoping the whole NHS will follow suit.

[jackieB]

Thanks, but my GP hasnt had much info back from the consultants at the hosp,. I want the notes from the hospital. Do I contact the secretaries or medical records dept,.?

[ian cognito]

Try the Secretary for your consultant, if you don't have a name or number phone the hospital reception and ask for the details first. These people are ever so helpful, especially if you ask for them by name!

[Slinky]

Hello

I am taking my Consultant to Hospital over a bodged surgery. My Solicitor sent the Hospital and my GP a Subject Access Request for my files. There is a standard cost for the release of this information of £50.00.
Hope that helps.

SLINKY

[jackieB]

Thanks for that, i will ring the secretary and find out what I need to do. As I dont want to sue anyone, just to see my medical notes, they may not be a fee.

[ian cognito]

Yes I think tha may be the difference, if you want them to sue or complain, they will make it difficult for you (rather like the banks), if you just want a review, I know my doctor was certainly happy to do it and I spoke to my Dads consultants secretary on many occaisions. Hope you go on ok.

[Battleaxe]

You have a right for access to your medical records. you write a letter to the Complaints Manager cc'd to the Cheif Executive of the NHS trust outlining your problem and request a copy of your notes, as simple as that. we did this because of a Consultant trying to pull the GOD syndrome act. hell my husband had cancer and they right botched up his treatment, we got copies of EVERYTHING requested and these were in our hands within 28 working days.

Hope this helps.

PS I worked in the NHS in Post Graduate Medical Education, so if you want, you can contact me and I will talk you through the process

There is no charge for information and they provide us with CD Rom of all xrays, MRI's and CT Scans

[martyn bernardo]

if its medical records from a hospital your after you could always contact the PALS (patient advice liason service) within the hospital. these people are duty bound to act on behalf of patients. They can give you advice on the best route to take in acquiring copies of all your notes. They normally work 9-5 mon-fri and can be contacted via the main hospital switchboard.

[technique]

Try PALS or speak to the practice manager of your surgery if the hospital are not forthcoming. The practice though should be in receipt of every discharge letter and outpatient letter resulting from hospital appointments. If the surgery say they aren't in posession it may be more to do with them not keeping the notes than the hospital not sending them in the first place.

With regards to Shipman's old practice (mentioned earlier in this thread), the GP who took over that practice felt there may have been some trust issues with the patients and wanted to make sure that the list he inherited knew everything that had been previously recorded - which is fair enough.

They use a HIPS portal (Health Information Portal Service), which is a PC that the patient can sit at and view the records. Some other surgeries have this. If not, ask your practice for internet access to your records. My practice have this thing called emis Access which allows me to log in with a password and I can then make appointments, request medication and see my records.

[breadline]

i know this is an old thread but Incase anyone is still reading for advice, Last year i needed to back track my GP records.
You write a letter requesting a viewing to the head of your local clinic. You will be given a date that you can change if inconvenient, you will then sit with another person in a room while you look through your notes, however. The Gp has a right to remove any information that they may feel is disturbing for you ( pointless). So make sure you ask has any information been removed. Then you ask why and on what grounds did they feel it necessary.

The computer system in my clinic started around 2002, so the only records i could see where the ones until that date but the person with me had a PC and also helped me translate writing and medical understanding.

You can also while looking through your notes, rip sticky notes an place them on the corner of each note you would like photocopied and they will do this for you before you leave.

I hope this helps.

I am now looking into legal action against a Neurologist at the BRI so I as yet have no advise on viewing hospital notes, but i see no reason why it should not work along the same lines.

BL

[bigyeti]

Originally Posted by jackieB

Anyone any idea how I go about it. I understand that now, due to the freedom of information act I can do that. Unsure who or how to go about it?. Thanks.

I am on medication for epileptic seizures (which I haven't had in over 10 years) and used to go see the consultant every 6months or so.

About 12 years ago, I asked the hospital for access to my records, purely for curiousity. They gave me a form which I filled in and returned. It stated that I only had access to records after 01 Nov 1991. After about 3 weeks, I signed for the delivery of a fat envelope with photocopies of notes, and results of blood tests. They billed me after I had received the package, not in advance, a fee of £10 + VAT.

I'd had an MRI scan, and a couple of X-Rays and I didn't receive any info on those at all.

[witchiepoo]

Just ring the hospital concerned and quote the Data Protection Act but warning they will most likely charge you for seeing them (normally about £10) but they cannot refuse

[ScarletPimpernel]

Originally Posted by witchiepoo

Just ring the hospital concerned and quote the Data Protection Act but warning they will most likely charge you for seeing them (normally about £10) but they cannot refuse

Not entirely accurate. The fees for a S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) under the Data Protection Act are different for medical records. The request should be in writing - the trust is entitled to verify the requester's identity (and shouldn't accept a request for confidential data on the phone anyway), it makes the start of the 'deadline clock' clear, and leaves the Trust in no doubt as to what is required.

I posted this info on an earlier thread:

1. The fee for a medical records S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) is £10 where the records are held electronically and £50 where the records are manual, or a mixture.

2. Many NHS Trusts use their own forms for SARs, and they may ask you to complete one of these.

3. Dept of Health/NHS policy is to deal with SARs within 21 days, though the Data Protection Act allows up to 40 days.

4. The time limit clock starts after they have verified your identity and any fees have been paid.

5. The fees aren't mandatory, but are the maximum that can be charged by law.

6. If you need your GP records, you will have to submit another S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) to the GP.

7. You are not required to give a reason why you want your records.

8. Most trusts won't release medical imaging films (e.g. x-rays), unless specifically requested, and they usually have to be returned. However, the reports relating to imaging would be included in a S.A.R - (Subject Access Request). Realistically, unless the reason for the SAR hinges on imaging, there's probably not much point in having them anyway.

[mree]

I agree with the last post - I was manager of a hospital medical records department for 2 years, and everyone seems to be making this much more complicated than it needs to be! The process for getting copies of your medical records from a hospital is quite simple:

1) phone the hospital, ask for the medical records department, ask them to send you their form for requesting copies of your records.
2)fill the form in, send it back.
3) as the fee is to cover reasonable costs of photocopying etc., the medical records department should pull your notes, then work out how much they're going to charge you to copy them, up to £50 maximum.
4) they'll write to you asking for payment of whatever amount they've decided to charge you.
5) you send a cheque
6) they cash the cheque, copy your records, and send you the copies via recorded delivery.

The medical records department don't care if you're suing the hospital or anyone in it, they're not going to be awkward or obstructive, this is everyday business to them!