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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

problems getting copy of notes - what is next step?!

15 replies

asur · 15/10/2007 18:26

I requested a copy of my notes and I know they are supposed to be provided within 40 days. It's been nearly 50 now so I emailed the medical record manager to find out when they were sent in case they have been lost in post, the response I got was "still awaiting a response from dr -i will chase up"

What is my next step? Not sure what I can do - do I need to contact a solicitor?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

spudballoo · 15/10/2007 20:06

No, it's normal for notes to need the sign off from the relevant Dr although that's no excuse for them to be delayed. I would write back and politely but firmly remind them of their legal obligation to provide the notes within 40 days and that, as such, you look forward to receiving the notes within 7 working days of the date of your letter. And send it special delivery.

If you still don't get them, write to the Chief Executive of the Trust and send copies of your letters and asking for their response within 7 working days, otherwise you will be forced to consult a solicitor.

Shoudl sort it.

Tigaaaarghna · 15/10/2007 20:10

what spudballoo said.

In fairness to the department with responsibility for responding to requests for notes...Drs can be buggars to get to do stuff like this!

Of course, good practice would have been for them to contact you and say " we are sorry, Dr being buggar, will miss 40 day deadline, please be assured etc etc etc"

itsazoohere · 15/10/2007 21:25

Sorry to hijack, but dose anyone know how long after the birth your records are available? 12 yrs ago my labour was seriously screwed up, and now, on my 4th baby (different hosp!) I'd like to see them.

itsazoohere · 15/10/2007 21:27

oops, does,!

Lulumama · 15/10/2007 21:28

4th baby ! is there another mini zoo expected?

i think they keep all birth notes for 21 years, so contact PALS at the relevant hospital to find out

itsazoohere · 15/10/2007 21:38

Lulumama! Yup, babyzoo is just so fab we couldn't stop. Expect another online delivery in may!

nappynuttynormabutty · 15/10/2007 21:43

When I requested mine I was told they had to be checked over by the consultant to make sure there wasn't anything in there that could have an adverse effect on my mental health iyswim (they're allowed to black those things out).

However they are still obligated to provide them within 40 days under the DPA.

I'd ring them up and tell them that you're going to report them for failing to comply with the data protection act...it might get things moving

Lulumama · 15/10/2007 21:47

woo hoooo ! will be ready and waiting ! good for you, honey

Klaw · 15/10/2007 21:57

Itsazoohere, after my VBAC of dd in 2005 I asked for the birth notes for that birth and my first birth of ds in 1993! They both came relatively quickly! When I found a period of time's worth of notes was missing from ds's birth I phoned and asked for this bit and they were sent on forthwith! I then discovered them included with dd's notes by mistake

Go ahead and ask!

itsazoohere · 15/10/2007 22:09

Thank you! Will get on to it in morning. Not sure why I care, I know all the gory details, and I survived after all, guess I'd just like to see it all in black and white.

SofiaAmes · 15/10/2007 22:13

It took me a year to get my notes from hospital where ds was born. The thing that finally got them was not the dozen phones calls to the medical record department. But rather when I finally contacted the patient's complaint department at the hospital and pointed out that I had spent a year trying to get these notes and been given every excuse in the book and still not gotten them. They were sent out within a few days of that phone call.
Be prepared for notes to be inaccurate and useless. Mine left out big chunks of information and said that I had been in labor for 1.5 hours, when in fact it had been 40. Much of what was written was illegible and none of the names were identifiable.

Klaw · 15/10/2007 22:33

Yes, they can't tell you anything that's not been written down so there may be questions you have which can't be answered.

BUT I had such a feeling of ownership once I had my notes and could read them whenever and however many times I wanted. They are my births, after all, and it's good to know what's been written down about me and my children.

If you have difficulty decifering them then you can ask for someone from PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) to go over them with you.

I haven't used that service but have gone over my notes again and again and always found something new! So that's it why I think it's useful to have your own copy rather than just going over them with a mw and never seeing them again.

SofiaAmes · 15/10/2007 22:48

Also, I was told that if you have your babies at different hospitals, the notes from your last pregnancy/birth are not forwarded to the current midwives, doctors at the new hospital even if you had problems with the pregnancy and/or birth. If you want the new people to see the notes, you have to order them up yourself and hand them over in person and even then, chances are (as in my case), no one wants to know. Seems really poor medical management to me....

NoNameToday · 16/10/2007 11:36

Hi SofiaAmes.

When calculating length of labour the midwife will use the time that was judged to be established labour for the commencement, not early labour.

Seems a bit mean when tou have been in pain for hours doesn't it? Some ladies have very protracted latent phases which skew the documented times.

Hope that helps.

SofiaAmes · 16/10/2007 18:17

Thanks, NoNameToday, that's the excuse that was given to me when I tried to correct the record. However, that was not the case for me. Even if you don't count the early labor (most painful part for me, as it turned out), I was in subsequent "real" labor for at least 20 hours. After having been unattended for 12 hours (!) because I "wasn't in labor" my mother dragged them in to examine me and they discovered that I was 7 cm dialated. From there it took several hours to find an empty labor room, another few hours to find someone to examine me again and then another 5 hours to find an an anaesthetist to give me an epidural and then having just given the epidural, they examined me again and discovered that the baby was in distress and I needed an emergency cs. It then took another 5 hours to come up with the doctor to give me an emergency cs. They can pretend that I wasn't in labor before they noticed that I was 7 cm dialated, but surely anyone who read the notes would notice the times that these things occurred at and realize that 1.5 hours was just not related to reality given the times all the things occurred.

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