to access my birth records from the late 1970s?

[purplegases]

I've discussed it with my DM and she is absolutely fine with it and has said she will sign the consent form for the subject access request. She is hazy on the details and I had some unusual complications with my own DC births. There were also some complications with my birth but being the time that it was, my DM is unclear about it and I would like to have more clarity.

I'm just wondering if the records from that time are still likely to exist? DM still attends that hospital as a patient (for other health issues!) so I don't know if that affects retention of her maternity notes. Has anybody on here accessed notes from so far back?

Just bumping to see if anyone thinks this will be possible.

It's not your birth records though, it's your mothers medical records. That's probably a step too far for giving out information, even if she did agree

I think they are only kept for 25 years, can your mum ask for them if they still have them instead.

Your mum could request them as they are her notes but I’m fairly certain that maternity records are kept for 25 years

What type of notes are you after?

I requested mine. They needed my mum to do it to give any details of the birth, as it’s considered her medical history and not mine. She did it. They didn’t really have any info. No time of birth, no decent notes. A few notes on her having a temperature/when she was discharged but that was all.

Apparently they don’t need to keep detailed records for too long and therefore mine were gone; despite her still being a patient. I’m in my early early 30s, so if you’re younger, it might be different. I’m guessing it’ll be different now as notes are digitised.

Very unlikely the records will be there. My GP records were "lost in transit" when I went to Uni and registered with a GP there. When I discovered this 20 years later and enquired about it they had been destroyed.

Sorry just to clarify, she would be requesting her own maternity notes from that time, I was just going to give her the paperwork to complete and I'm the one who is interested and she is happy to then show them to me if/ when she receives them. I know I couldn't ask to see her notes.

If they are only kept for 25 years though then they will be gone. I figure it might be worth trying on the off chance that they're still there though.

I do find it surprising that they can destroy notes within a relatively short timeframe. I can imagine a range of scenarios when it might be useful to look back. I guess there is a cost involved in physically storing them though.

I have requested much more recent notes and I had to do it as separate requests, mine for the antenatal/labour/postnatal and my daughter’s for her first week after birth. So it is worth trying to request your records as the infant and your mother requesting hers separately. Now days the baby’s notes begin with a summary of the relevant parts of the birth as the impacted the baby’s health.

How did you go about requesting your notes @Applesandpears23? Would be interested to read mine/DS’s from his birth as my memories are very patchy (was an epic business and we were both unwell although fine long term).

There's no harm in her asking to see her old notes, the hospital records department will know, alternatively maybe her gp might have something on record

I think I googled “data subject access request HOSPITAL NAME” and just followed the instructions. You are making a data subject access request under the data protection act. The act gives you a legal right to any info they have about you (subject to some caveats). You may be asked to pay for the printing/photocopying of paper records.

I think everyone should request and keep copies of their hospital notes for births. It is so useful to compare or look things up once you can’t remember details if you have another pregnancy. Actually a male work colleague gave me this tip when I was expecting my first. His wife had had 2 c-sections and then later in life had a different issue with her womb and the surgeon wanted to know clinical details about her c-sections but her notes had been lost. He advised me to get copies of mine so I could keep them safe. I am now expecting baby number 3 and showing I have had one issue in both previous deliveries is helping to make the case for a particular course of treatment this time around.