ACCESS TO MEDICAL RECORDS

INTRODUCTION

The practice complies with UK Data Protection legislation which incorporates the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR and PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation) this also includes Patient Confidentiality.

In accordance with the above appropriate data protection legislation, patients to the practice are entitled by law to copies of their own individual medical records, this process is known as a Rights of Access request previously known as a SAR. We are able to deal with requests directly for you or from third parties (your consent may be required in most cases) and some requests may incur a fee for example if an insurance report is requested. For more information please see the following link Right of access | ICO

NHS COVID PASS

If you're aged 16 or over*, you can get a digital NHS COVID Pass for travel. People under 16 may need to show a negative test result.

Please see the NHS page below for more information on how to get a digital NHS Covid Pass 

HOW TO GET A DIGITAL NHS COVID PASS

*The practice can issue a letter confirming the vaccination status of patients aged under 16. Please contact the practice for more details.

ACCESS TO RECORDS APPLICATION

Please use the online form below to request a Detailed Online Access or Proxy Access to records. See below for more details.

ACCESS TO RECORDS APPLICATION

Please see our online access page for more information about the services you can sign up to for online access to your medical records.

DETAILED ONLINE ACCESS

Detailed online access allows you to access an up to date version of parts of your electronic GP medical record including information about medication, allergies, vaccinations, previous illnesses and test results.

Detailed online access currently allows you to access the following through your secure online account:

• BOOK APPOINTMENTS

• REQUEST MEDICATIONS ON YOUR REPEAT PRESCRIPTION

• VIEW PARTS OF YOUR MEDICAL RECORD:

  • Medications; you will be able to see the medications you are currently taking. If you want to request any repeat medication you will be able to do so from this screen. There is also a link to Patient.co.uk which has further information about your medication.
  • Allergies/Adverse reactions; you will be able to see what allergies you suffer from and what if any adverse reactions you have had (i.e. to medication). There is also a link to Patient.co.uk which has further information about your allergies.
  • Immunisations; you will be able to see any immunisations/vaccinations we have a record of and the date you had them. There is also a link to Patient.co.uk, which has further information about any of the vaccinations you have had.
  • Problems; this section shows you your current and past coded medical problems.
  • Consultations; you will be able to see a record of your recent consultations (coded data entry only, not text entries).
  • Test Results; you will be able to view your test results once they have been reviewed by your doctor. You will see a value, a range and a comment that has been added by your doctor.
  • Values; you will be able to view values such as your height, weight and blood pressure.

PROXY ONLINE ACCESS

Some patients may wish to give another person (family member, friend etc) access to their online patient account to help them book appointments, order medication or manage their healthcare record. This is called proxy access.

Proxy access provides a patient representative (the proxy) with their own formal login credentials, with the level of access customised to the patient’s requirements. Patients who have capacity may set this up by providing evidence of explicit consent.

For patients who lack capacity to give consent, proxy access may still be given to a family member or friend provided one of the following conditions is met:

• They are the parent/legal guardian of a child under the age of 16 years
• They have Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare
• They are a court appointed deputy for the patient
• The GP judges it is in the patient’s best interest – this option is safest if the patient needs to make an advance decision about future access e.g. in anticipation of future loss of capacity.

The practice can refuse or withdraw formal proxy access if we believe it is in the patient’s best interest to do so.

LEVELS OF PROXY ACCESS

Patients should be aware of the different levels of access available to ensure they are able to make an informed decision about what the proxy user will be able to access. The options are:

• Appointment booking and cancelling – Basic Level
• Prescriptions management – Basic Level
• Access for full or part of their health record which is broken up into – Advanced Level
  • Medications; you will be able to see the medications you are currently taking. If you want to request any repeat medication you will be able to do so from this screen. There is also a link to Patient.co.uk which has further information about your medication.
  • Allergies/Adverse reactions; you will be able to see what allergies you suffer from and what if any adverse reactions you have had (i.e. to medication). There is also a link to Patient.co.uk which has further information about your allergies.
  • Immunisations; you will be able to see any immunisations/vaccinations we have a record of and the date you had them. There is also a link to Patient.co.uk, which has further information about any of the vaccinations you have had.
  • Problems; this section shows you your current and past coded medical problems.
  • Consultations; you will be able to see a record of your recent consultations (coded data entry only, not text entries).
  • Test Results; you will be able to view your test results once they have been reviewed by your doctor. You will see a value, a range and a comment that has been added by your doctor.
  • Values; you will be able to view values such as your height, weight and blood pressure.

PROXY ACCESS TO CHILDREN'S RECORDS

Proxy access to children’s records may be granted for a parent/legal guardian before the age of 11 without the patient’s consent, 

Once the patient reaches their 16th birthday proxy access is automatically revoked and the patient will need to reapply as an adult.

WHO MAY APPLY FOR ACCESS

PATIENTS WITH CAPACITY

Patients with capacity have a right to access their own health records via Online Access (electronic records) or SAR (paper copy of full records). Patients may also authorise a third party such as a parent/guardian or a solicitor to do so on their behalf. Competent young people may also seek access to their own records. It is not necessary for patients to give reasons as to why they wish to access their records.

PATIENTS AGED UNDER 16

Where a child is competent, they are entitled to make or consent to a SAR to access their record. Patients aged 16 and under cannot apply for Online Access. Parents/guardians please see Proxy Access section above for details on how to access under 16s medical information.

Children aged over 16 years are presumed to be competent. Children under 16 must demonstrate that they have sufficient understanding of what is proposed in order to be entitled to make or consent to an SAR. However, children who are aged 12 or over are generally expected to have the competence to give or withhold their consent to the release of information from their health records. When assessing a child’s competence, the responsible GP/Governance Lead will explain the issues in a way that is suitable for their age. Where in the view of the appropriate health professional, a child lacks competency to understand the nature of his or her SAR application, the holder of the record is entitled to refuse to comply with the SAR.

NEXT OF KIN

A next of kin cannot give or withhold their consent to the sharing of information on a patient’s behalf. As next of kin they have no rights of access to medical records. For parental rights of access, see the information above.

SOLICITORS

A patient can authorise a solicitor acting on their behalf to make a SAR. A solicitor must provide the patient’s written consent to the Practice along with the request.

PAPER COPY OF RECORDS

Please contact reception on 0117 946 6455 to request paper copies of your medical records.

TIME FRAME

Once the relevant application form is submitted to the Practice, we aim to process the request within 28 days. The maximum time for processing a request is one calendar month. The Practice will contact the applicant if there are any queries and when the application is complete.

EXEMPTIONS

There may be occasions when the data controller (The Family Practice) will withhold information kept in the health record, particularly if the disclosure of such information is likely to cause undue stress or harm to you or any other person.

DATA CONTROLLER

We, at The Family Practice (‘the Surgery’) situated at Western College, Cotham, Bristol, BS6 6DF, are a Data Controller of your information. This means we are responsible for collecting, storing and handling your personal and healthcare information when you register with us as a patient.

DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

The surgery’s Data Protection Officer is:

Kelly-Anne Gast
Avon Local Medical Committee,
14a High Street, Staple Hill,
Bristol, BS16 5HP
Tel: 0117 9702755