Lost child’s red book

[Daniela97]

Hi all- I lost my son’s red health book and can’t find it at all. I called my local HV team and they gave me a hard time about replacing since he’s 3 saying they don’t give them passes 2.5 years. He potentially may have a medical issue and we may be moving back to the United States so I really wanted another red book just to keep all of his records in one place). They referred me to PALS, saying I won’t get a red book but PALS will be able to get me my medical records.
To make a long story short- PALS helped me obtain a new red book and referred me back to my local health visiting team so they could input the info on my son’s health from their records.
Today I called my local health visiting team happy that I had a new red book and was asking how or where I could stop by for them to fill in the info- and they said they can’t give me my child’s records due to the Data Protection Act. They said I have to go through PALS again , request from them my child’s medical history who will then in turn reach out to my local health visiting team who will give PALS my son’s health records and then PALS will mail them to me and then I can fill in the red book myself.
I reached out to PALS again and they said they have nothing to do with child records and that they would have my local health visiting team contact me.... but I’ve already talked to my local health visiting team and they refuse to give me direct access to my son’s records sighting the Data Protection Act!
Does anyone have any insight as to how to get these records from my health visiting team? Surely there is an easier way?!

Does he go to Nursey? They may have a copy of his vaccine records.

I think I can get vaccination information from GP, but I wanted growth measurements and the info the health visitors have since his birth.
I guess also it’s knowing I’m entitled to these records yet. It being able to access them that’s also bothering me further.

Request them from your GP.

I don't tho m things like growth measurements get recorded anywhere other than the red book, certainly not tho us like weigh clinics. Surely you can fill most of it in yourself anyway.

Could you make a GDPR request on behalf of your son?

You can request copies of any info the hold about your son using the data protection act. You send them a subject access request and they have to give the info to you. ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/your-right-of-access/

They don't record weight anywhere but in your child's red book unless it's done at the Drs

The growth charts are only in the red book, they don't take a copy of them.

This is what I’m trying to do but no one seems to be “authorised” to give me my records. I’ll reach out to the GP tomorrow and maybe that’s an easier route. Thank you.

You have to put the request in writing.

My county's HV team do keep a copy of weights etc taken at drop in clinics. It's all transferred onto the computer record after clinic.
Your HV team are correct in saying they can't just give it to you. Theoretically they could lose their registration for doing so.

You need to complete a subject access request as stated above. Look on the trust's website, the details of how to go about it should be on there.

Ok thank you, I’ll have a look