Challenging the cost of your maternity notes

[reikizen]

Has anyone had any success in challenging their hospital over the charges for copies of maternity notes? Mine want £40 for them which sounds a bit much to me!

Which notes? The green folder that you get to keep with you from around 20 weeks until birth?

If so, why not just copy them yourself before the birth?

Can't think what other notes there are tbh.

My old hospital want £45 for mine, they wouldn't even give my new hospital copies when I was pg this time

CSWS, the notes about what happened at the birth.

Oh right. Didn't realise anyone was taking notes except dh (under strict instruction from me)!

£40! I thought my local were taking the piss charging £25

You could ask them to justify the cost, but tbh you'd probably be wasting your breath - although you never know until you try!

Lol, I don't think they're too interesting unless you've had some kind of birth trauma. I wanted mine so I could find out what happened with DD (prem birth, two weeks drugged up in hospital so can't remember much!) and also want to make a complaint against about the second birth I had there where I was told in no uncertain terms I was not allowed a VB. I want to know how it was recorded in my notes.

VS - I can't believe your previous hospital wouldn't send copies of your previous notes, that's disgusting behaviour.

I know, when I had the CS this time the Surgeon had no idea whether I'd been cut horizontally or vertically on my uterus as with the first birth I was cut down instead of across on my stomach.

I'm a student midwife, so they are pretty interesting to me. I also have the notes for DD1 and I want to keep them for when they are older. I have mine (one whole page!) from my own birth and I really treasure it. First time around I got them for free but this is a different hospital.
Very odd about the hospital not transferring notes, they do it automatically as your medical notes follow you around through your life and maternity notes are just part of that.
I have written to say it's not a reasonable amount and am awaiting a reply but was hoping to find a success story on MN!