Medical files

[Guest Another Spartacus]

Help please

 

I am in the process of taking my former employer to tribunal to be awarded immediate pension.

 

I have SAR'd my G.P's practice and also SAR'd my hospital records as we need these to prove my illnesses have been long term.

 

Further to a phone call from one of the admin staff at the G.P's I was told that my records are ready to pick up.

 

It was only after I asked how far back they went that it appears they don't have my records pre 1976.

 

Now, my parents and I moved to this area in 1964 and registered at our present practice at the same time.

 

After a heated discussion with the practice manager I have been told more or less to take it or leave it and that I can't have been registered at that practice prior to 1976.

 

I was 16 at the time by the way and my parents looked after all the paperwork etc untill I married and left home in 1988, I still stayed with the same practice.

 

Apparently according to their records, both my elderly mum and my late father were also registered there from 1976 too after I questioned when they were registered.

 

They don't have her medical notes prior to 1976 either.

 

This is total bull pooh! I have been going to this G.P's practice ever since I was a small girl, we have NEVER in the past almost 50 years used any other doctors surgery, ever.

 

My mum mums mental health problems were initially diagnosed by one of the 'late' doctors there in 1968 after we lost my grandma.

 

I broke my arm in 1968 and remember the old G.P giving me a lollipop for being so brave etc.

 

Where do I go from here...............they have obviously lost our notes, though they are not admitting to this and they are still insisting that we only registered with them from 1976, in affect calling us liars ffs.

 

The practice manager did mention that if there were 'no remarkable' records that anything else may have been disposed of but she was not admitting to this!

 

Somethings just not quite right. I'm up against a brick wall here.

 

The practice manager has refused to discuss the problem any further!!!! SHE feels upset that I am questioning her ffs. what about how upset I am.

 

I hope that I have better luck with my hospital notes.

 

Thoughts or advice anyone please.

Edited November 22, 2012 by Another Spartacus

[Zonker]

Luckily i spoke to the ICO on a very similar matter yesterday. The advice given was, write to the practise manager saying they have failed to fulfil with your SAR request and that they must comply. Get the answer from them in writing. I think by the sound of things this will end up going to the ICO as a complaint. I dont think practise managers have any idea whats actually required of them regarding the SAR medical records.

[Guest Another Spartacus]

Thanks for replying x

 

I phoned PALS this morning and they will be getting in touch with the practice manager today.

 

I will keep you updated on the outcome.

 

These practice managers need an injection of humility.

[Zonker]

Imho they need to know their responsabilities and not just an advanced level of fobbing off. *rant over*

 

To be fair i think my local one is overwhelmed with the volume of work and tries to address everything possible just not in the required detail needed.

[Guest Another Spartacus]

So,

 

I've just had a call from PALS and they have confirmed that my practice does not have the files, they don't know where the files are and there is no way of finding out if the files are lost or destroyed.

 

As there is no one around from 1976 who actualy worked at the practice they are saying that they are not accountable.

 

So that's it then, all my childhood records are gone.

 

I feel cheated to say the least

[Zonker]

Do you think they have complied with the medical records sar and you have received the required statutory response? If not then a complaint is in order to the ICO . It isnt good enough to say tough luck we havnt got them.

[Guest Another Spartacus]

Thanks for your response.

 

Can I ask though, who is ICO

 

I will just have to take this further.

 

I'm like a dog with a bone now because I was relying on my earlier medical notes for a diagnosis of my present health issues which were only formaly diagnosed this year through specialists at the hospital.

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

ICO is the information commissioner's office.

 

You might find their website useful and there is a helpline, I believe.

 

http://www.ico.gov.uk/

 

My best, HB

[Lillibelle]

Good Grief,,thats appalling,,my medical records have followed me from place to place..i know this because I needed the same as you,a time in my past that proves my illness now.Even my inoculations in my childhood are available on my GP's computer screen (archived) and all the old paper notes are visible in a room next to the reception.

[Zonker]

I remember there was a comment made back before the DPA originally came into force, to the effect that paper documents being destroyed so they couldnt be seen.