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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

General health

How do I obtain my maternity/birth records?

18 replies

starry · 15/07/2004 12:56

Have moved to another part of the country and want to get copies of my medical records for when I had ds1 4 years ago. I'm writing a letter to the hospital but who do I address it to?

Does anybody know this process? Has anybody else obtained records for when they gave birth? Does it cost anything?

TIA

OP posts:

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eidsvold · 14/07/2004 13:18

I applied to the Patient records office for both mine and dd's as we were emigrating. Cost 50 pounds for the lot - dd's were quite substantial - three weeks of SCBU daily notes...Took a couple of weeks at the most from memory.

The hospital sent a form for the relevant details like DOB, patient no etc and then sent copies to us registered mail.

Very helpful for this pregnancy - when people asked about last one and helpful to pass onto dd's consultants etc now we have moved.

Very simple process - we had to get dd's from 3 different hospitals ( don't ask )

Suzy very simple process but very helpful to have. I was amazed at how much I had forgotten from my short stay and of dd's care.

New hospital trust in the UK ( prior to move) maternity record book has carbonated pages - no doubt so they can remove them for your records and you still get a set... no idea about Aussie hospital..

suzywong · 14/07/2004 13:37

eidsvold
I aplied for miine at the medical records office at the hopsital and they didn't ask for any money, in fact the woman on the desk cackled that she would speed it through as the extra photocopying would mean extra cash for her ???

How are things going back home for you? We leave the country in 5 weeks. Can't wait.

SueW · 15/07/2004 13:47

It might be helpful to give the hospital a call and check where it should be addressed. Last time I checked with ours it was the Patients Records Office and some detailed block/number to help identify its destination.

I had my records for DD's birth from Chelsea and Westminster a couple of years ago. It cost me £40. I believe the max charge is £50 now which lots of places charge for photocopying.

I learned a lot about my labour by having the chance to read through my notes properly.

Aero · 15/07/2004 13:51

Don't know who to write to, but I was disappointed when they took away my notes after ds1 was born, so after dd and ds2 were born, I photocopied the lot! I also learned loads from it and am glad to now have copies.

Angeliz · 15/07/2004 15:04

I did exactly this a few months ago.
I had to adrress it to the head of maternity and i asked for my birthnotes,
I got them very quickly and they only charged me 15 pounds.
If you ask within a few weeks of giving birth i think it's free as they still have the records at hand.
Ring the hospital and ask who to write to

(It was very interesting reading all about the birth too- what they'd written)

carla · 15/07/2004 15:08

£15????? Starry, what do you need them for?

Angeliz · 15/07/2004 15:20

yes, 15 pounds!!
Think everything is cheaper up North

carla · 15/07/2004 15:40

Now I'm really curious. Why would you need them?

Angeliz · 15/07/2004 16:02

Why wouldn't you want to have them???

I just wanted them for memories and to check details when i got pregnant again!!!

Angeliz · 15/07/2004 16:04

Actually, i've just remembered, there was a thread on here about how long your labour was. People were being very precise and i wanted to see EXACTLY how long my stages were

starry · 15/07/2004 19:01

Thanks everyone

Think i'll give the hospital a call first - I was ot going to bother as I find sometimes the person you speak too hasn't a clue themselvs and you spend ages on hold etc.

Carla - Like Angeliz and SueW i'm just curious to read them and keep them as a momento. WIsh i'd thought of it at the time of the births but had other things to deal with then!

OP posts:

HiddenSpirit · 15/07/2004 20:23

Now you've got me curious and want to get mine starry lol

SofiaAmes · 15/07/2004 23:10

I got mine for free from a hospital in london, but it took a year and a formal complaint, so maybe they were just feeling guilty and normally charge for them.

suzywong · 15/07/2004 23:18

oh how interesting that this thread should come up.
I need to get mine (did I mention I'm moving to Australia?) this month.

So doI take it I ask head of maternity and expect an arbitrary charge?

carla · 15/07/2004 23:24

Bugger, bugger, bugger ..... I want mine now. I'm still in the same town. Do you think they keep them? dds are 4 and 5. S..t. Lovely thing to have. Can see now why you want them. Why didn't I think of that??

And ... Suzywong ... tell us all about it

fairydust · 16/07/2004 01:54

when you request them they due ask the reason as to why you are requesting them i requested mine about 2monthds ago i phonned the hospital i had dd and they told me were to write to they then replied with a form to fill in as to why i wanted the forms i also had to have a friend sign to say i was who i said i was.

I was luckly i recieved 500 pages (bad pregnancey /labour) all for nothing.....

The writing is unreadble on most of it but if there is apart that you think is necessary to you - then you can request that the doctor actually type that part out for you - he wasn't pleased when i requested 150pages worth

best of luck requesting them mine took about 3/4 weeks to all come though

Meid · 16/07/2004 02:04

After I had my dd the midwife said I could have the notes when she discharged me from her care, or I'd have write in and pay for them if I wanted them at any future date.

I do remember clearly, though, she said she was supposed to offer them to me. It seems many people aren't offered them at the time.

Mind you, I said I wanted them and they were never sent to me - I think the midwife went on holiday and I was too exhausted to chase!

Linnet · 18/07/2004 00:47

I applied for my labour/birth notes of my first daughter last year my dd was 6 last year and they still had them I think they have to keep them. I phoned the hospital to ask about how to go about getting them and the lady told me that she would send out a form for me to fill in, data protection meant that I had to pay £10 for the request then the photocpying was done on a sliding scale 1-20 pages £5. 21-70 pages £10 something like that anyway. It only cost me £5 for the notes as there weren't that many pages.
and it was so interesting to read through them, ok some of them are unreadable but I found out what I wanted to know.

I had my second dd 7 weeks ago and while I still had the notes in my house I copied them all on my computer so those didn't cost me anything.

I started a thread on this on the pregnancy thread last year will probably be archived now.

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