Medical records

[yoli]

Out of curiosity I wanted to know at what time I was born, so I completed the form, which the hospital sent me. However, I have just been told that the information is held in my mother’s records; hence to abide by the access to health records act 1998 I need to obtain her permission.

Unfortunately, I can’t get it from her. However, regardless of this, I can’t understand why I should have to get permission from someone else to know at what time I was born.

I do not want to know when my mother gave birth (something that should be and is recorded in her medical notes). I would like to know when I was born. These are two distinct questions relating to the same medical event, which affected two different persons. I feel that it should have been recorded in my notes as well.

I don’t think that the problem lies with the access to health records act 1998, which protects individuals' records, in this case protecting the information regarding when my mother gave birth, but rather the hospital's failure (?) to mention when I was born in my medical records. As such the hospital cannot answer my question "when I was born" without using the records of my mother to answer the question "when my mother gave birth". If my records had had the date and time when I was born, then there would be no problem and each individual's records would be adequately protected by the aforementioned act.

 

What started as a silly little thing is actually now bugging me. What can I do?