Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to apply for access to your medical records and in some cases, records of other people as an authorised representative. This is known as a Subject Access Request (SAR).
The Access to Health Records Act 1990 (AHRA) governs the right of access to deceased patient’s medical records by specified persons
Is there a fee to access medical records?
We will provide a copy of the information free of charge. However we reserve the right to charge a “reasonable fee”. This is when a request is deemed manifestly unfounded or excessive. This is particularly if it is repetitive (copies of the same information).
How long will the request take?
You should receive access to your records within one calendar month ( unless advised by a court order) provided sufficient information to identify you is received with your application for any requests submitted under the Data Protection Act 2018.
For any requests under Access to Health Records Act 1990 your request may take up to 40 days.
If the request is complex or numerous then this period can be extended by a further two months. If this is the case then we will contact you to explain why the extension is necessary
Will I need to provide proof of identity?
Identification checks are required by the Trust for security, this is to protect personal data from unauthorised access.
How do I make a request for a copy of my healthcare records?
You can get a copy of your health records by creating an account through our online portal.
Follow the instructions to setup your account or login if you have an existing account.
We manage requests electronically and once this is complete you will be able to view your health record using a download function within the portal.
When making your request, please make sure you select the correct application type. This is so we can process your request effectively.
If you are applying to access the records of more than one person you must complete a separate application for each patient.
How do I request access to the health records of another person?
If you are an organisation or representative, you should also use the online portal.
When making your request, please make sure you select the correct application type.
If you are applying to access the records of more than one person you must complete a separate application for each patient.
