They want to charge me £50 to view my own medical records!!!!!

[PeaMcLean]

This is apparently a standard admin charge. I've checked with Data Protection and they are allowed to charge it.

I just need to find out what drugs I was given when I had a c-section 7 years ago. I had an allergic reaction to them. My dentist said he wants to know before he takes my wisdom tooth out.

What gets me is - why wasn't that information copied over to my GP at the time??? Surely if a patient has had an operation, and an allergic reaction like that, shouldn't my GP know? There's nothing on the records at the GP about it.

Can you get your GP to request the info for you?

I thought they could only charge for the copying not for viewing

God grief! That's a ridiculous amount of money! Standard charge by who? Your local authority, I would assume, not national. Mine were £10 fgs!

you doc can request the info.

I had an allergic reaction to an anit-emetic after an op a few years back (very bad reaction, needed rescusitating), and so I need to know for future op's and for my allergy bracelet I am going to now need.

my GP hadn;t been given the info, but he could find it for me......

and it is free

Starlight is right.

Thanks all. Am seeing the Practice Manager at the GP later today. I'll ask them to get it.

I have to say the woman I spoke to at the hospital was less than helpful. Didn't mention anything about simply viewing - even though when I gave my address it's evident I live almost across the road from them.

I paid £50 for my records but got dd's free.

Did you say you only need a specific piece of info? They may look that out for you.

A Discharge summary should have been sent to your GP with details of all drugs used as well (these are sent electronically now on day of discharge).

go the ICO route, the max charge there is £10!!

Hi there, your dentist is concerned that you may be allergic to local anaesthetics, usually pretty unusual and far more likely to be due to antibiotics, it could be morphine and opiates but your dentist is unlikely to use these. You should be able to get your GP or practice manager or preferably your Obstetrician to tell you what the problem was, his secretary will have access to the notes and most are very human and helpful. You do NOT have to pay any money at all and if so, you were told the wrong information.

Remember that any odd rash or upset after an operation or hospital stay is ascribed to an 'allergic reaction' by the junior medical staff, usually without any hard evidence. There are no easy tests for allergies so you may well have been diagnosed wrongly, however young doctors see it as a fail-safe situation.
You should also be wary of reading your own notes as you will need someone to interpret and explain them for you.