Are our hospital records available to us if we request them.
Would like to see my Neuro records.
they are but good luck trying to read them without help.
You have to write to the Data Protection Lead at your hospital. There’s usually a charge. Like faula said though they might be difficult to understand without help. Could you ask your MS nurse to go through them with you instead?
I have requested a copy of my hospital medical file notes/records before from the hospital medical records department and I paid a small amount. The copies were sent to me in the post after I completed an authorisation form which I needed to sign. Unfortunately some of the documents I asked for were not in my hospital medical records file. Perhaps they were lost or never added to the file - I will never know, the hospital were unable to explain.
The documents included examination notes and copies of letters sent to GP’s.
It has taught me a lesson, to keep a file of all my NHS letters at home.
My experience has been pretty much in line with the information faula has linked to.
I paid £10 for a CD of my latest MRI - head and full spine. My neuro told me that all test results were mine, the hospital merely holds them for me.
I once asked to see my GP notes and was given a time to come into the surgery and read them, which I did in the presence of a clerk (lest I should tamper with them, maybe?). There was a small charge. Computer records are, of course, easy to read, but the older handwritten notes were quite difficult; I quickly learned that a little knowledge of medical terminology and abbreviations would have gone a very long way. I found some of what I wanted, but there were many years, or was it decades, of notes to go through, so without some forethought to dates I could have been there for a fortnight.
I was informed that my GP had the right to remove anything he thought it would not be in my best interests to see. I don’t know if he did this.
Ben
May I ask why you want them please?
Pollsx
My hospital records are about the size of half the Encyclopaedia Britannica. If I were to get a copy of that I’d be about 94 before I’d finished reading it. And added to that, my records are now spread over 3 hospitals. Most of my old neurology records are with my local hospital, but about 10 years ago I was referred to my present neurologist who is part of a different hospital trust. Plus I also see a neurological rehab specialist in a different hospital. In addition, some of my notes are related to MS but aren’t directly neurological, i.e. gastroenterology because of drug related hepatitis, urology, etc, etc.
So I think asking to see my hospital records might strictly speaking be possible, but of how much value would it be to me? So I understand the desire to read them, but realistically?
Sue
Yes. They are available. You will have to request them in writing and will likely have to pay a fee. It will help if you can be specific with any periods of time; months or years. Since I was diagnosed here in Ireland, I have been given a cd of my scans, (free of charge) clearly labelled as to Brain, Cervical Spine etc. This was in each case. My first one being Private and others HSE (NHS equivalent).
Since my diagnosis, I have asked for a copy of each report from my Neuro to my GP. My GP has happily obliged. The same with any blood work I’ve had done while monitoring Lymphocyte levels on Tec. I keep it all in a ring binder for future reference, as the years go by.
Under the NHS I now get a copy letter of everything that is sent to my GP from any hospital specialist. So I’ve got a great big pile of letters that I every now and then winnow down to the essentials. What it does mean of course is that I have quite a lot of evidence available to accompany benefit claims now if only I can lay my hands on exactly the right letter that spells out (in simple language for the DWP of course) what needs I have, I’ll be fine.
Sue
Thanks.
I’m plagued with backache and am heading for the physio. Thought that if I had the records and result of MRI scan these would help the physio sort (hopefully) my back out.
‘winnow’ -- Well Sue, you’ve taught me a new word. It’s clear from the context what it means, otherwise I’d have had to look it up.
Many thanks.
Ben
Ha brain fog! What Brain Fog? Sometimes the fog scrapes up a word which one had never used before.
Thank you for the thank you Ben
Sue