Access to medical records
Medical records, also sometimes called health records, hold information about you. You have a right to see your medical records. You can nominate someone you trust to access your records too.
A person with parental responsibility will usually be entitled to access the records of a child who is aged 12 or younger.
There are two types of records:
Your summary care record contains basic information including your:
- allergies
- medicines
- and any reactions you’ve had to medicine in the past.
This information is accessible to all healthcare staff so they can treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed. If you do not want this information shared with others you can opt out by completing a summary care record form.
Your full GP record includes:
- letters
- test results
- appointment notes.
How to access your medical records
If you have an NHS account you can get your GP record by logging into your account using the NHS app or NHS website. You will need to ask your GP surgery for online access to your full record, or you'll only see your medicines and allergies.
You can make a direct request to Whitwell Surgery for access to your medical records, or for the records of another patient you are supporting, by completing the form below. If you are seeking to access your personal GP medical record you can also make a verbal request.
Health and care records are confidential so you can only access someone else's records if you are acting on that person’s behalf with their consent or if you have a legal basis for access such as Power of Attorney. To access someone else’s medical records, you will need to make a written request which is known as a Subject Access Request, as set out by the Data Protection Act of 2018. Completing the form below counts as a written request but you can also make a written request in a different way. You will need written consent of the patient you are asking for if you wish to access their record (unless you are wanting to access the records of a child aged 12 or under who you have parental responsibility for). We will check your identity before we release any information.
If you have any further questions about accessing your medical record, or those of another patient, please contact the Practice Manager.
We can only provide you with access to the GP records that we hold. For any other medical records, you need to ask for them at the NHS service you went to. This includes records like your hospital record.
Find more information on how to get your medical records on the NHS website.
If you move to our practice from another GP practice
Your electronic GP health record will be transferred directly, securely, and quickly from your previous GP practice to us.
If you’d like to learn more about how that happens, find out more about GP2GP on the NHS website.
Your data matters to the NHS
Your health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning. You can choose to stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning. You can also make a choice for someone else like your children under the age of 13. Find out how data from your health records is shared for research and planning and how to opt out.
Your choice will only apply to the health and care system in England. This does not apply to health or care services accessed in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
When you have filled in all the fields, click Next. You will then see a summary of the information. If you are happy with this, click Send to complete the form.