Access to medical records

Requesting access to medical records and patient information

What personal information is held about me?

A health and care record contains information about the mental or physical health of a patient and will contain information supplied by the patient, healthcare professionals and others involved in a patient’s healthcare and will include such things as:

• When you saw a healthcare professional
• Details of clinical findings, care and advice given by the health professional
• Care and treatment options discussed with you and any decisions made
• Details of any action health professionals have taken and the outcome of this

Who is my personal information shared with?

Personal information is held securely within health and care records and will only be shared with healthcare professionals and support staff who have a legitimate right to access your records for the purpose of providing healthcare or administrative services for you.

There will be circumstances when your health and care record can be shared with other people but there will be strict rules in place around when this occurs to give you the reassurance that your records are not accessed or shared inappropriately. Such circumstances may include:

• Where you have given your consent in writing for someone else to access your records
• If you are not in a position to give consent and are not capable of managing your own affairs – in which case the person responsible for managing your affairs will normally have the right of access
• In the case of a child, the parent(s) will normally have the right of access although this is at the discretion of the organisational holding the record
• Following your death, then your personal representative or the person managing your affairs will normally have the right of access to relevant parts of your health and care record

There may also be certain other rights of access laid down in law, where a legitimate request has been made as part of a criminal investigation or to safeguard your best interests.

Am I able to see or receive a copy of my personal information?

Yes, you have the right to access health and care or personal information about you that is recorded manually, on a computer, or other storage means by the Trust. However, there are certain exemptions to this, but in most cases this information can be provided free of charge.

How much does it cost to access my information?

In most cases this information can be provided free of charge unless your request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, particularly if it is repetitive when an administrative cost may be made.

Applying to access your health and care records 

If you want to see or view a copy of your health and care records you don’t have to give a reason, but should make your application in writing using the application form that can be downloaded from this website, providing as much information as possible to help us locate the records.

To ensure we are sharing your records lawfully, you will need to verify your identity. Your application will need to be accompanied by copies of at least two official documents that relate to the person making the request. These should confirm your name, date of birth and current address e.g. driving license, birth/adoption certificate and a recent utility bill (mobile phone bills are not acceptable).

Viewing health and care records 

If you would prefer to look through your health and care records rather than having copies, we will try to arrange this at a mutually convenient time to do this. We will still need to make sure it is safe and appropriate for you to view your records and that no exemptions apply.

We will normally provide an appointment with an appropriate clinician (the health professional who is currently or was most recently, responsible for the clinical care of the patient) or layperson (someone who is employed by the Trust but will not be able to answer any questions about the clinical care you have received) for you to view your health and care record. You will still need to follow the same process to apply for access to your health and care records.

Can access be denied or restricted?

There may be exemptions in certain situations where we may decide to withhold certain information, for example:

• When we are not satisfied that the applicant is acting with the patient’s permission
• Where we believe releasing the information may cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the patient or any other individual
• Where the record contains third party information about another individual and we do not have their permission to share this.

How long will it take to receive my records?

We aim to provide your records within one month of receipt of all the information we need to locate your records. If your records are complex or numerous and we envisage it may take longer than this we will inform you of this.

What happens next?

Once we have received your completed form and ID we will locate the health and Care records, prepare the required copy and obtain authority to release them from the appropriate health professional and then make arrangements for you to either view or receive a copy of your health and care record.

Submit a request to see your health records

An application to access your records can be completed by using the form below :

• Access to Patient Records Application Form (PDF for print)
• Access to patient records application form (Microsoft Word)
• Access to deceased patient records application form (PDF for print)
• Access to deceased patient records application form (Microsoft Word)

If you require these forms in an alternative format please contact the Marketing and Communications Team

Please return the completed form to the Records Management Team by email or by post:

Records Management
2 Kings Court
Charles Hastings Way
Worcester
WR5 1JR

Email:  whcnhs.recordsmanagement@nhs.net (Please note if sending by email that we cannot guarantee the security of your email whilst in transit to us)

Leaflets

• Access to Non-Health Related Records
• Access Your Health Records Leaflet
• Access Your Health Records Leaflet - Children Under 16 (August 2022)