A request by a patient, or by a third party authorised by the patient, for access to health records under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 is called a Subject Access Request (SAR).
Please note: a SAR is for accessing your own health records. If you're looking for information about how St Georges Road Surgery operates administratively (policies, contracts, etc.), please see our Freedom of Information page instead.
How to request your records
If you would like to see your health records, or want a copy, please contact the Practice and we will provide you with a Subject Access Request Form. Once we have your completed form, we will contact you to arrange a time for you to come in and collect or read your records.
Requests can be made to:
The Practice Manager St Georges Road Surgery 102 St George's Road, Coventry, CV1 2DL Email: stgeorges.road@nhs.net
You don't have to give a reason for wanting to see your records, and there is no charge for this service. You will be asked to provide proof of identity before being allowed to access them.
When contacting us, please let us know if you:
If you'd like your records emailed, we will need your written agreement (or your representative's) that you accept the risk of sending unencrypted information to a non-NHS email address.
You may also be asked to complete an application form and provide proof of identity, as we have an obligation under UK GDPR and the DPA 2018 to verify who we are releasing information to. Please note we never send original medical records, due to the risk of loss.
Response times
We have one calendar month to respond to your request. If we need additional information before we can supply copies, the one-month period begins once we've received that information.
The one-month period can be extended by a further two months for complex or numerous requests. If this applies, we will tell you within the first month and explain why the extension is necessary.
Who may apply for access
Patients with capacity You have a right to access your own health records via a SAR, and may authorise a third party (such as a solicitor) to do so on your behalf. You don't need to give a reason.
Children and young people under 18 Where a child is competent, they can make or consent to a SAR for their own record. Children aged 16 or over are presumed competent. Children under 16 must demonstrate sufficient understanding of what they're requesting - in practice, children aged 12 or over are generally considered to have this understanding, though this is assessed individually. Where a child is considered capable of making this decision, their consent must be obtained before a parent or third party can be given access.
Next of kin "Next of kin" has no formal legal status and doesn't carry rights of access to medical records. See parental rights above, or power of attorney below, for who can act on a patient's behalf.
Solicitors A solicitor can make a SAR on your behalf with your written consent, which must cover what information can be disclosed and who may see it as part of any legal proceedings. Where there's doubt, we may contact you directly before disclosing anything.
Adults who lack capacity Where someone has been nominated or appointed (for example, under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 or by the Court of Protection) to make health and welfare decisions on a patient's behalf, this may include access to relevant parts of their medical record, unless doing so would not be in the patient's best interests. Where no one has been nominated, requests should be granted if access is in the patient's best interests, and only information relevant to the request should be provided.
Power of attorney Your health records are confidential and family members cannot see them unless you've given written permission or they hold power of attorney for you. A lasting power of attorney must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.
Deceased patients Records made after 1 November 1991 can be requested by a patient's personal representative, administrator, or executor, provided the patient hadn't made clear they didn't want their records accessed after death. GP records are generally retained for 10 years after death. You may be asked for proof of identity and your relationship to the deceased. Some information may be withheld if it could cause serious harm, or would identify another person without their consent (except NHS staff involved in the patient's care). If you're pursuing a claim relating to the death, only information relevant to that claim will be provided.
Requests to see the records of a deceased patient are handled under the Access to Health Records Act 1990, and can be made by the next of kin, legal executor, or someone with the deceased's or next of kin's written permission - via the same process as for a living patient.
Records for unregistered or deceased patients held elsewhere Where a patient is not currently registered with a GP, or is deceased, their GP health records are held by Primary Care Support England (PCSE) on behalf of NHS England - please visit the PCSE website to request access. Hospital records must be requested from the relevant Hospital directly.
What information isn't disclosed
UK GDPR and the DPA 2018 set out certain exemptions to SARs. If we're unable to disclose part or all of your records, we will let you know and explain why.
If your records contain incorrect information
If you believe your health records are incorrect, or need your personal details updated (name, address, phone number), please contact the Practice informally in the first instance. If this doesn't resolve the issue, you can formally request an amendment under our complaints procedure. If your request is declined, a statement of your views will be attached to your record.
Making a complaint
If you're unhappy with how a SAR has been handled, you can contact us directly at the details above, or complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
