Medical records hold information about you. They are also sometimes called health records.

You'll have separate records for any NHS service you go to including your GP surgery, hospital, dentist or opticians.

How to get your record depends on which record it is.

Your GP record includes information like any conditions or allergies you have and any medicine you're taking.

Most patients will automatically be given access to more information added to their GP record from November 2022 onwards. This includes letters, test results and appointment notes.

Some people may also have access to information added to their GP record before this date.

You can access your GP record and nominate someone you trust to access it too.

There are 3 main ways to get your GP record.

You can get your GP record by logging into your account using the NHS app or NHS website.

First, you need to register for online services and prove who you are. You can do this when you create an account.

You'll need to ask your GP surgery for online access to your full record, or you'll only see your medicines and allergies.

Get your GP record using your NHS account

Login or Create an account

By speaking to your GP surgery

You can ask for your GP record at your GP surgery.

Find your GP surgery

Introduction

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, patients (data subjects) have the right to access their data and any supplementary information held by IMC; this is commonly known as a data subject access request (DSAR). Data subjects have a right to receive:

• Confirmation that their data is being processed
• Access to their personal data
• Access to any other supplementary information held about them

Accessing your information

As a patient you can request a copy of your health record. To do so, you must submit a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) form. The DSAR form is available at the reception. You will need to submit the completed DSAR to the practice. Patients do not have to pay a fee for copies of their records.

That said, should a request be deemed either “unfounded, excessive or repetitive”, a reasonable fee may be charged. Furthermore, a reasonable fee may be charged when requests for additional copies of the same information are made. However, this does not permit the practice to charge for all subsequent access requests.

The fee is to be based on the administrative costs associated with providing the requested information.

The DSAR form should be read and completed with all the required information. Forms that are incomplete and with insufficient information may cause delays in processing

Time frame

Once the DSAR form is submitted, Ilford Medical Centre will aim to process the request within 21 days; however, this may not always be possible. The maximum time permitted to process DSARs is one calendar month.

Exemptions

There may be occasions when the data controller will withhold information kept in the health record, particularly if the disclosure of such information is likely to cause undue stress or harm to you or any other person.

Data controller

At Ilford Medical Centre the data controllers are Dr Seedat and Partners, and should you have any questions relating to accessing your medical records, please ask to discuss this with the Practice manager.