Please help advice needed, sorry quite long.

[ludlowstreet]

I have name changed for this and reposting with a different title as I didn't get ant replies the first time.

I have something on my medical records that courses me a great deal of distress. I don't ever go to the GP as a result because I can't face anybody who has access to this information. I have driven 100 miles round trip before to see a doctor at a walk in centre if I have needed to see one. I have children (registered somewhere else) and had hardly any care during pregnancy because of this. This has been the situation for many years now and I don't feel any better about it and will never be able to overcome this. I would like the information removed but have been told that this is impossible, even though it has no relation to my current health (apart from harming my mental health) and will never have any importance.

I moved house about a year ago and recently informed the GP practise because of letters being sent to my old house (my records are kept in the safe there and are not generally accessible). I have been told that I am now out of their catchment area (just) and will need to register with a new GP within 30 days or they will send my records to the Health Authority.

Please help, I can't stand the thought of anybody seeing my medical records.

I don't know what to do.

BTW Otherwise my life is fine, great even, and I am fine seeing doctors who don't know my past.

Gosh, I'm really hoping someone on here can help you. Is it because it's untrue (if so, you may be able to get it removed) or for another reason?

It's not untrue.

OK. As I see it, there's two options:

a) see if you can get it removed or amended (don't know if this is possible but it might be, especially if it's affecting your mental health and irrelevant to your health now)

or

b) see if you can access counselling to enable you to make your peace with it and move on

Thanks for replying.

I can't have it removed, I have looked into this, it will be on there for ever. I even worry about anyone seeing it after I die.

I don't need counselling, for one, I would never talk to anyone about it, and for two, my life is fine apart from this one thing.

I don't know how to advise you but from my experience no GP has ever looked back over my medical records unless I have asked them to. My doctors always have a blank computer screen when I go into their room and they write up the current problem on that screen. I don't know whether this is of any comfort to you but I think they are more concerned with the hear and now. I have no real idea if they spend any time looking but my guess is not. Also what is on your medical records is clearly upsetting for you the doctor is a trained professional who won't view it in the same way as you do. Is there anybody you could talk as this is clearly causing you a lot distress? You need to find a way of overcoming this and maybe a counselling would help.
I hope you find some peace with this.

Would you, under your changed name, maybe be able to talk about it in more detail here on MN? Or would even talking about it incognito online be too painful?

FWIW, I have all sorts of disreputable past stuff on my medical records, and no one has ever mentioned any of them.

Ludlow, I really feel for you in your distress.
Honestly though, imagine what a GP sees on an average day. I can guarantee you that whatever you have on your medical history will not shock them or make them think badly of you. Also please bear in mind that doctors and other medical professionals are all human. They all have medical records and things they are embarrassed about.
Whatever happens, please make sure you don't neglect your health because of this.

Thank you again for all the replies. I know a doctor couldn't care less what was on my records, but I care.

I was hoping somebody might have had a similar experience and know how to get round this.