Access to Records

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records.

No information will be released without the patient’s consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

Patients can request a copy of their medical record online by completing the medical report request form. Please see some frequently asked questions listed below.

Will I be charged for my medical record?

All patients are entitled to a copy of their medical record without charge under UKGDPR 2016. If you request a second copy of your medical record you may be charged a duplicate request fee. Currently this fee is £70.

You will still be entitled to information which you have not received before, free of charge. For this reason, we recommend all patients keep a copy of any records we have released to them, this will allow you to avoid the duplicate request fee should you need your medical record again in the future.

How long will it take for me to receive my medical record?

Currently it takes about 4 weeks for a medical record to be ready to be released. However, if the surgery is very busy, we may take up to 3 months to complete your request. We will inform you if your request is expected to take longer than 1 month to complete.

How will I receive my medical record?

Patients can choose to receive either an email copy or collect a paper copy from the surgery.

We recommend only requesting an email copy if you have a computer or laptop to view your record, as smartphones and tablets usually do not have enough storage to open a full medical record.

Can someone request my record on my behalf?

Third parties can request copies of your record on your behalf; however, it is the practice policy to only release records directly to the patient. We may make an exception to this policy if the patient is unable to receive the records directly (e.g., for children).

Furthermore, the third party must have a valid legal reason to request your records on your behalf. These can include but are not limited to:

  • written consent from the patient
  • parent/guardian of a child not old enough to consent
  • Lasting power of attorney for health and welfare