Accessing Your Medical Records
Subject Access Requests
Requesting a copy of your medical records
You have the right to ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you. This is called a Subject Access Request (SAR).
You can ask for:
- A copy of your medical records
- Copies of letters and documents we hold about you
Before you make a request
You may already be able to view much of your medical record online using:
- The NHS App
- Patient Access
This is often the quickest way to access your information.
How to make a Subject Access Request
To request a copy of your medical records or personal information, please contact us online.
Choose: "Insurance reports, medical record request, private letters, medicals and existing referral enquiries"
We may ask you to provide proof of identity before we process your request.
How long will it take?
We will deal with your request as soon as possible.
Under data protection law, we will usually respond within one calendar month of receiving your request and any identification we need to process it.
A calendar month ends on the same date in the following month. For example, a request received on 15 July would normally be completed by 15 August. If that date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day.
In some cases, requests can take longer. This may happen if:
- Your request is particularly complex
- We need additional time to obtain archived information
- We need to retrieve paper records
Data protection law allows organisations to extend the response time in certain circumstances. If this applies to your request, we will tell you and explain the reason for the delay.
If we are unable to provide your records by the deadline, we will normally contact you by 6pm on the final working day to explain the reason for the delay and let you know what will happen next.
Requests on behalf of someone else
If you are requesting records for another person, we may need:
- Written consent from the patient
- Proof of identity
- Evidence that you have the legal authority to act on their behalf
We cannot release personal information unless we are satisfied that the request is authorised.