Requesting medical records

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in conjunction with the Data Protection Act 2018, gives everyone the right to apply for access to their medical records.

Making your request 

Your request must be made in writing to the appropriate healthcare provider. You should state that you require a copy of your medical records and specify whether you would like all or part of your records. You will often be able to submit your request by email or by post.

Some healthcare providers will have a specific request form that you must fill out, they may also ask for verification of your identity.

Response times

You're entitled to receive a response from the healthcare provider no later than 28 days after they have received your request.

Applying to separate healthcare providers

You will need to apply for your GP records and then separately to each hospital or healthcare provider that you have received treatment at.

GP Records 

If you're currently registered with a GP, you will need to send a request in writing to the practice manager at your GP surgery. Your GP record should include copies of hospital letters.

If you are not currently registered with a GP

If you are not currently registered with a GP, then your records may still be held by the last GP surgery that you were registered with. If your last GP surgery no longer holds your records then, depending on the location of your last GP surgery, you should apply to:

• England 

Primary Care Support England Address: FAO Access Team, Primary Care Support England, 3 Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9ZZ

Email: pcse.accessrequests@nhs.net  

• Wales ­  

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership Address: The Records Manager, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, HRR Department, NWSSP, Cwmbran House, Mamhilad Park Estate, Pontypool, NP4 0XS 

Email: nwssp­primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk  

• Scotland ­  

NHS Scotland Practitioner Services Address: Records Manager, Practitioner Services, NHS National Services Scotland, Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9EB

Email: adam.bates@nhs.net  

• Northern Ireland ­

Medical Services Department, Business Services Organisation Address: The Records Manager, Medical Services Department, Business Services, 2 Franklin Street, Belfast, BT2 8DQ

Email: dpa.bso@hscni.net

NHS hospital records 

To obtain a copy of your hospital records you will need to apply in writing to the hospital’s records manager at the hospital where you received your treatment.

Links to the various NHS hospital trusts:

• NHS England: NHS Choices website
• NHS Wales: NHS Wales Hospital Directory
• NHS Scotland: NHS Scotland Health Boards​​​​
• NHS Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts

Haemophilia Centres

If you're currently registered with a haemophilia centre then you can apply to that centre for a copy of your records.

Medical records are strictly confidential so you can only access someone else’s records if you:

• are acting on their behalf and have been given their consent to do so
• have legal authority to make decisions on their behalf (power of attorney)
• have another legal basis for access

If you wish to access someone else’s medical records, you will need to submit a request in writing to the relevant healthcare provider with the patient’s written consent. 

GP Records

When a person dies their GP records will be forwarded to an NHS service facility. Send your request to the record holder at one of the following services, depending on where the deceased person last resided:

• NHS England: NHS Choices website
• NHS Wales: NHS Wales Hospital Directory
• NHS Scotland: NHS Scotland Health Boards​​​​
• NHS Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts
• National Haemophilia Database

Hospital Records

For hospital records, you should contact the records manager at the hospital where the deceased person received treatment.