Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you have a legal right to access your health records.
If you want to see your health records, you should contact Reception in the first instance to arrange a date and time to come in and read them.
You do not have to give a reason for wanting to see your records.
Registered patients can also access certain medical information online.
Hospital Records
As well as having a copy of your health records, the surgery will also have a summary of any hospital tests, or treatment, that you have had.
Any hospitals where you have had treatment, or tests, will also hold records.
To see your hospital health records, you will have to contact the Hospital Trust where you were seen / received treatment.
Charges
Under the Data Protection Act 1998 (Fees and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2001 the maximum fee that can be charged for providing copies of health records is £10 for computer records and £50 for copies of manual records or a mixture of manual and computer records.
Charges are for copying and posting the records only and should not result in a profit for the record holder.
Some types of records, such as x-rays, may be expensive to copy.
Power of Attorney
Your health records are confidential, and members of your family are not allowed to see them, unless you give them written permission, or they have ‘Power of Attorney’.
A lasting ‘Power of Attorney’ is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone to make decisions for you, should you become incapable of making decisions yourself. The person you appoint is known as your Attorney.
An Attorney can make decisions about your finances, property, and welfare.
It is very important that you trust the person you appoint as Attorney, so that they do not abuse their responsibility.
A legal ‘Power of Attorney’ must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.