Can a NHS medical record be deleted?

[WaitrosePigeon]

Hello

Can you delete your entire NHS medical record? To put it simply, start a fresh?

Thank you

I didnt think you could. Because your record is not just about you, it is also notes of what Drs or nurses have done.

Of course not. That information is extremely valuable and important.

I don’t think you can. I worked in a hospital and there was no ‘delete ‘ button on the system.

No, you can't. You can request all the information that is held about you though (you may need to pay).

Your health records are actually still stored as hard copies and can be transported between horpitals. I used to work in pre-op and some people had one a4 piece of paper in their folder - others had a full storage box worth of information.

Is there a reason you want to delete your medical history?

I don’t think you can delete your entire records, but I do think you can ask for things to be removed?
You need to speak to PALS, and they will advise you.

If something’s recorded inaccurately you can ask for an addendum to be made to clarify things but you can’t delete anything from your medical record.
When people request your medical record they also only receive the relevant information to what they need and you can discuss what you feel should be disclosed etc.

No. Legacy if a Trust has information on you it has to be held for a certain amount of time, but I cannot remember how long it is.

Delete from where?
The NHS keeps so many records in so many places, most of them anonymised. I don't think you could possibly get to all of the entries.

If somebody has had a sex change a new record is opened and the previous one is permanently closed.In regards to anything other than this situation I have no idea.

No, NHS records will be kept under public task under GDPR and you do not have a right to erasure on that legal basis. You have the right to rectification if anything is wrong, but if it is a medical opinion it will likely remain but you can have your opinion added to it if you challenge it.

Although come to think of it health records may even be exempt from rectification so like a pp says it's likely to be done via addendums rather than out right rectification I imagine.

Absolutely not.

The NHS are hesitant to remove a just single entry (instead just adding a notice of correction for full disclosure) - let alone the entire record. This would not be possible, sorry. But what are your specific concerns?

You can’t start fresh because your history is important, eg vaccinations as a child, blood test results over the years, previous health issues - it all brings an overall view of your health and anything could be relevant in the future if you have another concern.

OP, can I ask why you want the record deleted? Understanding why might help us advise if there are alternatives that might address your concerns?

Nothing can be deleted, only a note of correction or clarification added as necessary. If something for someone else is appended to your NHS record by mistake (it can happen - like a scan image saved), the best that will happen is that the wrong entry is hidden.

By asking if they can be deleted, are you concerned that your records have been lost? My GP lost my entire paper file pre-digitisation and my woman-held maternity record (paper file) was lost by the post-natal ward staff, both of which have caused me significant problems with accessing treatment for existing conditions.

Some entries or records might be deleted depending on the individual health body's record retention guidelines, but they shouldn't delete the full thing, and it would be unlikely to happen unless there is a serious systems failure.

No. Even if something is incorrect it can’t be removed, it can only be clarified

No.

If nothing else, to be able to get medical treatment on the NHS, you need a number - not having one into adulthood (which is what deleting it would cause) would flag up possible identity theft, illegal immigration, terrorism, etc. If somebody is also of non UK origin/ancestry, it could also put them at risk of being deported, as they wouldn't be able to prove they had been in the UK.

IF you are wondering in the case of an abuse situation where the abuser might be able to access medical records as part of their job, that's different, as contacting the HR of their Trust should be able to ensure their computer use is carefully monitored (accessing records you aren't required to open as a direct consequence of your job is a sackable offence).

IF you are being threatened that you will be found wherever you go, get advice from Women's Aid.

And IF you have been told by somebody their record was deleted, assuming it isn't where multiple records were opened and then merged under one number (they're crosslinked on the computer systems), if it's a personal relationship, be careful.

And IF you're an NHS worker and thinking of going a bit Miss Marple on somebody, no good will come of this. If it's a 'so open me up a new file', refer to your manager. If it's 'I wonder if this is somebody that is on Witness Protection/is a person the Press would like to stoke rage up about?', keep the fuck out of it. It's not your job to nose around and you will lose your job if the information is released.

Also with transgender patients, I don’t think they receive a completely new and empty file. They have a new record with a new NHS number, but their old records are transferred over with any reference to old name/gender manually removed (inc paper records).

They actually don't close the previous records, they change the name, gender markers, and title on them.

Under the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to be forgotten but you have to put DPA 2018 request in writing, the NHS will have a duty to ask you "why", but you do not have to disclose a reason.