Access to medical records

[Collienova]

I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I’m starting to lose the will to live with this…. I’m hoping something who is either a GP or works in a surgery may be able to tell me if I’m being unreasonable!

I’m trying to get access to my children’s and my own medical records through the NHS app (including test results). I have filled out the relevant forms and provided their birth certificates to the surgery. I can now see them in the app under linked accounts. However, no test results, no medical records and it states that I need to request access to detailed coded records. So back to the surgery I went where I was told I need to fill out some more forms and bring in ID. I was then told that I didn’t need to fill out the forms, ID was enough, but they have sent them ‘upstairs’ to review.

They gave me their own surgery website login, though, which shows my medical record greyed out stating that the feature was disabled by the surgery?

Am I unreasonable to request access to these records in a secure way? Is there an NHS policy on this and why does no one seem to know how this works? Thanks in advance!

I work in a surgery and I have access to my son's accounts through the app to make appointments and request prescriptions. I can't see anything else though. I know that if the child is 11 or older they need to fill out an access form and have a meeting with you and the GP with photo ID for you both so the child can consent to access. If they're under you just fill out a form and provide photo ID for you both. Once a child turns 16 they can have online access and they can see their detailed record then, with appointments and blood test results etc but as far as I'm aware that's not something that a parent can see. Is there a reason you need to see certain info?

If it's just your data you want to be able to see you can just ask to be updated to full access. You can see everything then test results, old apps, letters etc

I would like to see my own records to check accuracy as an error has come up recently. For my children, I would like to see test results so I can be better prepared for discussions with the GP. I’m not controlling or neurotic and I am very familiar with medical terminology etc. I just work better having all the facts and then having an informed discussion.

Thank you. The eldest is 11 and the younger 6. I wasn’t given any of this information. I’ll see what they do with the forms they sent ‘upstairs’ today.

As far as I know you can't see results of theirs online but I'm not 100% sure. With my kids I can just order prescriptions and make appointments, I haven't asked for any more access than that. When we get requests from parents we then pass the forms on to the secretaries who sort out the access and usually they're only requesting access to order prescriptions online. You can definitely ask for access to your full clinical record and see everything. You can just ask them to do this over the phone, we usually ask the patient to confirm their NHS number before updating the access.

Thank you. Would I be able to get a print out of my DDs latest blood test before the review with the GP?

I can see my NHS test results as they come in on the app, sometimes before GP has a chance to contact me.

All surgeries are different but at mine we only contact the patients whose blood results come back as abnormal or borderline but if you have online access you can see the results for yourself on the app. Or if you call the surgery we can tell you over the phone. We print out results if you come in with photo ID. I haven't been asked for a child's results to be printed before, I've only been working at the surgery a year but I would have thought they could be printed out for you if you went with ID to reception and asked.

The surgery can choose to disable access to full records from the app. Sounds like yours has done this. They need to check the record before they give it to you. The usual reason cited is in case it contains references to other people which might reveal information about them to you. Or something else confidential.

it sounds like you’ve done all the right steps so you just need to wait for them to check the records and release them to you.

Our surgery have a blanket “no online access” online for children aged 11 onwards. Whilst it is inconvenient, I can understand they do it to protect other teenagers from controlling parents.

If you have questions you want answered, I would suggest you write a list before going in.