NHS records how far back will I be able to request records for?

[spindlebun]

Is it possible to go back to childhood records? I was born in 1986

I don't see why not.
Do you have the NHS app? My DC were able to look at their records back as far as they were born on there - 1996.

I had to get my complete records in 2016. There was one letter before I was 15, then some records up to 18, then nothing until I was in my mid 20s, so some important stuff from my childhood is clearly gone forever.

@TheOtherHotstepper yes I'm looking for an event years ago but I'm wondering if anyone will have it. Does the nhs app record hospital visits or is it just gp records? Thanks

Yes I got my records from birth printed for a private health care application. They weren't happy about having to do it though lol

how long are records kept when someone dies. Wanting some records of someone who died 35 years ago ?

I was born the same year as you, I asked for my entire medical record from birth, no problems. Did take a week or so tho, but this was 7 years ago

Just sign up to NHS app, all records from birth are on there. No problem at all!

Only if you live in England though!

Not all countries in the UK have access to the NHS app 😬

Unlikely, the section of the NHS I used to work in kept them for 23 years after death. There will be a statute limitation, enshrined in law but I'm not a lawyer.

Depends. When we get paper records through, we scan them as one document on the computer notes, then the originals get shredded. Transfer of notes from one GP to another can be very variable - sometimes it happens instantly electronically, sometimes it takes months and things can get lost. What are you particularly looking for?

Just realised I have the app since having my covid jabs

. Can only see travel jabs and covid jabs on there plus the odd random antibiotics prescription back to 2015.

There is a note that says Ask your GP surgery for access to your detailed coded record

Will this mean I have to ask go for a code so I can have access to everything?!
Thanks

I recently got access to my online records, but there is very little on there given I’m over 50 - the receptionist said that they only transferred important events from the paper records to the online ones. My first online entry was from when I was 20.

I had to fill out a request form at the surgery and they gave me a user name and password to access online, and this now shows up in the English NHS app.

Coded most likely means that each condition is given a medical code - for instance I have a penicillin allergy which has the code Xa5sH.

I can request my paper notes apparently.

A lot of things are missing from my online record.

I think only codes and results are available online. Most surgeries haven't enabled full online access for all as those that do get deluged with trivial questions and there is no funding for all the related admin time. You can do a SAR and request everything printed out.

I asked for my sons/my maternity records from 2004 and was told by written letter that they haven't got anything and destroy them after 7 years

@mycoffeecup yes perhaps the record is lost as they're older records I'm after.

@SabrinaThwaite thank you! I'm wondering if I'll have anything from earlier in childhood as the GP has now shut. My subsequent ones are all still there though I think that's what I'll have to do. I will have to call them and ask then
@StarsieZ oh that will be a shame for me if that's the case.

I thought it was a bit strange they wouldn't have anything but I asked specifically as I was having another baby and out the UK now (live in Aus) and wanted to read through my records, but unfortunately they said they weren't available which is really surprising I thought as I'm only 37 so still valid IMO for further care x

I had a hospital appointment earlier in the year, same hospital I used as a child and they had my paper records from the early 90s!

I have “full” access to my records via the NHS app.

I can see 99% of my GP records — incoming and outgoing letters, consultation notes, prescriptions, blood tests requested by my GP. I can’t see notes/tasks that the GP leaves for reception, so I’ll see a blood test request but not the notes asking reception to call me to tell me to go in and collect the blood form. It looks like I can see stuff going back to when I was born in the 70s, but it may be some stuff is missing which I simply forgot about.

I can’t see anything from my hospitals, other than a few recent appointment letters, and anything received by my GP. No blood test results, no scan results, nothing useful or interesting at all. Which tbh is really frustrating. I’d like to see my blood test results at the very least.

In terms of paper records, the three hospitals I tried to get info from several years ago all said they only keep limited information for patients who haven’t been seen by them recently. They keep mental health and cancer information longer I believe, but generally they keep records for I think ten years and then they start destroying it. They summarise/keep major entries but the general stuff gets shredded. Each hospital has its own policy, but I think there’s overall guidelines too. Essentially, if you want copies request them ASAP.

I think ten years and then they start destroying it.
I once worked in a hospital.
The paper records were kept in a huge basement, floor to ceiling filled with dusty manilla folders. It's a monumental task keeping on top of them and regualr destruction of long dormant files is a continuous process.