Your GP health record is the information that we hold regarding you in the practice about your interactions with us and the wider NHS services in the area.
What’s in my GP health record?
Your GP health record includes information such as:
- Medicines your GP has prescribed
- Recorded allergies
- Vaccination history
- Health conditions (sometimes called ‘problems list’
- Test results
- Documents from the practice, consultants, or hospitals
- Consultation notes and events from your interactions with the practice
Your GP record does not include any information that is held by other services that has not been sent to us. We are unable to access information from hospitals, dentists, and opticians. To access this information, you will need to contact each service directly.
There are different ways of being able to view your GP health record.
Viewing your GP health record online
You can view your GP health record online through the NHS App, or by signing up to different third party services such as Patient Access.
For more information regarding the NHS App and your digital records, please view our page on how to access our online services.
Making a Subject Access Request
A Subject Access Request (SAR) is a request that can be made by any person towards any data holder (such as the Windrush Medical Practice) to request a copy of all information that the data holder holds on them. Data holders have a legal obligation to share this information with you within 28 days of receiving your request. There is no charge for making a SAR.
If you make a SAR and you are a patient at the Windrush Medical Practice, we will provide you with a copy of all of the information that we hold on you. This may include scans of paper records if we hold them for you.
A SAR must be made in writing. You must write down your details and contact information, the date range which you would like to see your information from (e.g., “from birth to present”), and confirm if you would like your medical record emailed or printed (charges may apply for printed records). You will be asked to see some photographic ID when handing in this request, or alternatively our team will be in contact to verify the request.
You can also make a SAR through Engage Consult. Please visit the Engage Consult home page and select the “Request a Copy of your Medical Records” questionnaire. Please fill this out as much as you can, and please attach an image of yourself holding photo ID next to your face at the very end of the questionnaire for verification purposes. If we deem that the form is insufficiently completed or the photo ID is invalid, we will be back in contact to request further information.
How do I make a Subject Access Request?
A SAR must be made in writing. You must write down your details and contact information, the date range which you would like to see your information from (e.g., “from birth to present”), and confirm if you would like your medical record emailed or printed (charges may apply for printed records). You will be asked to see some photographic ID when handing in this request, or alternatively our team will be in contact to verify the request.
You can also make a SAR through Engage Consult. Please visit the Engage Consult home page and select the “Request a Copy of your Medical Records” questionnaire. Please fill this out as much as you can, and please attach an image of yourself holding photo ID next to your face at the very end of the questionnaire for verification purposes. If we deem that the form is insufficiently completed or the photo ID is invalid, we will be back in contact to request further information.
We will then start to process your medical records.
What happens after my Subject Access Request has been verified?
We will begin processing your medical records immediately after your request has been verified.
We begin by looking in our notes storage room for any paper records that we hold for you. If we are able to locate them, we will scan these records and upload them to your medical record. In some instances, we do not have your paper records. This may be because you have moved here from abroad, you have recently registered with us and they are still in transit, you were born after 2002 (when the practice of keeping paper records began to dissolve), or an admin error has occurred and your paper records were unfortunately not requested. If you have requested your medical records from birth and we do NOT have your full records from birth, we may contact you to let you know.
We will then begin the process of reviewing your medical records. In some instances, we are obligated to redact elements of your medical record. This may be if the information contained within discusses-
Getting help with your GP record
Please contact the practice if:
- You are unable to see your record online
- You would like anything from your medical record printed or sent electronically
- You believe information is missing or inaccurate on your record
- There is something on your record that is not about you
- You no longer wish to view your record or parts of your record online
- Someone may be pressuring you to share your GP health record
Related information
You can find out more information about your GP health record on the NHS website.