GP / Hospital / Mental Health Records

[celticbadboy]

Hi Everyone, my problem is regarding access to my health records. My GP agreed to give me copies of my GP records for a fee of £50.00p he also informed me that some of my notes may be witheld as he believes that some of the info may be distressing to me! furthermore, he went on to inform me that i needed to contact my local NHS trust for copies of my Hospital records - this i duly did and i was told that the fee would also be £50.00. Then, i was told that i needed to contact my local Mental Health trust to obtain copies of my mental health records, again, i followed the advice and AGAIN i was informed that the fee would be further £50.00, And finally, i was informed that if i have ever had ANY form of treatment in any other NHS trust's area for any type of condition - physical or mental health) then i wouldl need to apply to to each individual trust for my records, and of course PAY the relevent fee. As my medical history is somewhat extensive involving a combination of mental and physical admissions to hospitals in various parts of the UK then it appears that to gain a copy of my full medical records i will be faced with a bill for many hundreds of pounds ! Why do i need to know my history? well, a couple of months ago i went to see my GP for a consult on my worsening angina and to my horror he informed me that i could only be seen if a security officer from the Trust was also present, i was truly shocked and of course immediately declined the consult AND asked to be removed from his practice list ASAP. Yes i have a mental health history but i have NEVER been violent to any other living person - although self harm has occured) So that is why i initially asked for copies of my health records and so i paid the £10.00 fee and was given a 4 page summary. As i suspected there were references to my extensive mental health issues - inc episodes of self harm) but absolutely nothing about me ever being threatening OR violent towards others. So that is when i decided to obtain full copies of my records, i just never knew that it would be soooh difficult to achieve!

[reallymadwoman]

I wonder if PALS could help you with this? There must be an easier way of finding out where the 'potentially violent' marker has come from.

[honeybee13]

Just a quick comment. You've started two identical threads here, which can end up being confusing. If you click on the triangle at the bottom of one of your posts, you can tell the site team about it and ask them to merge them.

 

I hope you manage to get your records problems sorted.

 

HB

[HadEnough]

Is there some reason why a S.A.R can't be used?

 

Surely you would only need to S.A.R the NHS and not idividual Dr's, Hospitals ect, or even if you had to S.A.R each 1 it's a max of £10.00 each 1, saving hundreds of ££££.

[celticbadboy]

Unfortunately a SAR will not work, i took advice and it was confirmed to me that i will have to pay £50 for my GP records - payable to my GP) another £50 for my local trust hospital records - payable to the trust) and a further £50 for my local mental health records - payable to my local mental health trust)! seems crazy to me as the NHS is a single organisation! i also called a neighbouring trust just to see how much they would require for records as i did have treatment from them 7 or 8 yrs ago, and of course their medical records dept informed me that they would require exactly £50 for THEIR records. As i live on benefits i reluctantly have decided to give up trying to access my entire medical records but i have also decided that i will have no further dealings with any part of the NHS. I have asked in writing to be removed from my GP list, i've cancelled all future appointments with my local cardiology dept including my upcoming cardiology procedure (shunt next monday) and i have also told my CPN / SOCIAL WORKER that they are not to contact me again - period ! A bit drastic i know but if the law says that i can access my entire medical record yet it is made impossible by the requirement for me to pay hundreds of pounds then it seems to me that the only people that could get their records are the wealthy.

[Panthro]

Can I just clarify that the NHS is not, nor ever been a single organisation and GPs are not part of the NHS in any case. The £50 is for the time to get your records, your GP/consultant/lead clinician to search through them for anything that could be "damaging", and then the actual photocopying which can be a large task depending on the size of the recorsds (and I have experience of photocopying medical records!). You are free (without charge) to view your medical records. See http://http://www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/the-right-to-know/data-protection-act/access-to-health-records.html

 

Anything done in hospital generally results in a letter going to your GP whatever trust. You are likely to have a more comprehensive record with him.

 

I'd ask you to reconsider your decision to not have any dealings with the NHS.

 

Best of luck.

[lady-in-red]

you can see your GP records for free, but you have to sit with the GP to see them, they cannot say no, i had to pay £50.00 for my sons hospital records from the london hospital, his nursing notes are missing from the local so they say?? hidden more is the word, my sons were for just 7 weeks stay in ITU in london and you should see the size of his notes, it does take alot fo photocopying which costs money but i didnt mind paying this out as i needed to see what happened and it did show certain things that we didnt know like he was swabbed for swineflu and it was posotive yet the hospital never told us he had swineflu? so it was worth the £50.00 just send it cost a fortune the weight was high as well

[lady-in-red]

CELTICBADBOY, you must stay with your GP and have that procedure done for your self your health, i know the NHS have a got alot of people down but dont let them beat you, dont give up what you are entitled to, doctors seems to think they can puit anything on our notes, my friend had written on her notes thats she had mental health issues so she paid for a pysichiatrts reprot herself she got the report back last week and it doesnt say anything about her having a mental health issue, who do these GP,s and doctors think they are to put things on our notes with out telling us, when you go into hospital every thing you do while your a patent it written down, yet when they do something wrong to a patient they hide it hide the notes and lie, and yet we let them examine us and make up lies, so Celticbadboy dont let them put you down stand up for yourself you are entitles to free NHS

[lady-in-red]

the only damaging thing on our notes is lies what doctors put on there, like were mad, or threatening, or have munchowsen, all made up what the doctor wants to write in OUR files, we get labeled nutters because of them its wrong

[itsjustwrong]

I have had a similar issue, my GP had no clue about mental health and to be honest not a lot do, they write depression prescriptions and hope you dont google your symptoms and find out you need to see a more experienced "specialist", then when you have the nerve to complain, they close ranks and don't send full records.

 

We took it to Pals, they got half answers and obstruction so we have eventually decided to just sue them and let a judge decide how discriminating and unreasonable they have been when a patient really needed help.

 

Wish you well.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Is there some reason why a S.A.R can't be used?

 

Surely you would only need to S.A.R the NHS and not idividual Dr's, Hospitals ect, or even if you had to S.A.R each 1 it's a max of £10.00 each 1, saving hundreds of ££££.

 

 

SARs for medical records are the exception to the £10 fee rule - up to £50 can be charged for a SAR for medical records. Some Trusts charge less if you don't want copy x-ray films.