I intend to see a Cardiologist privately in order to fully assess my current situation and the best way forward to periodically review the situation with a blockage in the LAD artery. To avoid having to duplicate investigations undertaken in the last 12 months I intend to request a copy of my medical records for the last 12 months. I already have copies of letters to GP summarising results but these are very brief. Can I request in depth information on echocardiogram, ECG's and in particular an angiogram,which I was originally told was 50 - 74% blocked only to be told months later that on re examination of the angiogram that it was only mild atheroma and that the risks of further stents outweighed the benefits. I believe I make the request to The Medical Records Officer at the hospital but am interested to know if anyone has recently made a request and what is involved. Thanks
Requesting Copy of Hospital Records - British Heart Fou...
Requesting Copy of Hospital Records
I requested my notes very easily. Just filled a form in. I contacted PALS.
You can request all written notes, test results, ECGs even the recordings of your angiogram and echocardiogram so this can be looked at again by your new Cardiologist.
This will all have to be sent to a secured email address.
I am always given a copy of my ECGs when have one done and I have printed copies of my blood results, every MRI and echocardiogram report . Along with every clinic letter. I have a very big fat file!
Thank you Milkfairy - that's exactly what I want - well not the big fat file but as time goes on who knows. I will contact PALS. Again thanks for taking the time to reply as I know things not easy for you.
What does contact PALS mean? WOuld like a copy of my angiogram.
Patient Advice and Liaison Services - My local hospital is Frimley park - so perhaps the same as yours given your name. If you walk in through the main entrance they are on your right. Contact details are also found on most hospital web sites
Hi Milkfairy, you mention filling a form in, was this sent to you by PALS or can you get it elsewhere?
Hi bee2
PALS sent me a form from the Medical records department which I completed on line. Each hospital etc should have an appointed data protection officer. I sent scanned documents confirming my ID.
Passport, Driving licence and utility bill.
The GDPR General data protection regulations were introduced May 2018. Since this act came into force the organisation can no longer charge for simple requests. Known as a Subject access request.
The organisation must provide the information you requested within 28 days.
Yes I have secured my records recently, I think the speed of response can be a tad patchy. When in hospital in Torbay while on holiday I later requested cardiac records and they responded in a couple of days and sent me ecgs etc etc within the week. There was supposed to be a charge but they didn't charge me anything.
Getting my records from my local trust was a whole lot harder it took about two months and I went through my hospital team rather than records department. I would try the records dept first but not sure you will get them in time for an appointment if it is close by time wise. My GP was great in printing stuff off for me. I managed to secure reports from the hospital but not copies of scans etc which is what my second opinion medic at another hospital really wanted.
It's a great pity government didn't continue with the setting up of sharing records across all hospitals which was shelved for cost reasons as it was almost in place at the time.
I request a copy of every test result as it is conducted, and those requests have always been cheerfully agreed to. I'm likely to receive medical care in both the UK and Canada, plus a mix of NHS and private so it makes sense. Plus, for anyone travelling abroad on work or leisure there's an argument for carrying some key files with you when you go.
The patient has two major pieces of legislation on their side when requesting access to their files so you'll always get the information, however if you leave it until some time after the test you're more likely to be charged an admin fee, which I think is fair enough.
Thanks Chappy they are my reasons frequent travel and mix of NHS and private care.
If you have a blocked or blocking artery, I have had 5, I recommend that you watch the film "Forks Over Knives". It will show you that you can clear out your arteries. It is on a website of the same name, Netflix, YouTube. It is about medical dietary research, including a massive study of 800,000 Chinese people. You might find it helpful, I did.
The ideal BP is 120/80. Mine has been as high as 240/140 but went down to 190/100 with treatment in 2016. I still had a mini-stroke in 2017 though. I started a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) lifestyle in March 2018. My BP is now 120/80.
The ideal cholesterol is below 5. Mine was 6.5 for years, nothing budged it until this diet. It is now 3.7.
My weight was 14.5st and is now 12.5st, the same as when I was in my twenties.
If my arteries were still blocked my blood pressure would still be up. This means that my arteries must be clearing out.
I requested my notes and was refused as they are not my property. 🤔
(This May be a Northern Ireland thing though).
Even more irritating, I was sent for an MRI scan by my then private consultant, which cost £1000. When I reverted to NHS treatment my new consultant requested my scan to make a comparison with one she had arranged and was refused access to it because it was the property of the private hospital!
Hopefully you will have more success.
That really is a disgrace. The NHS have many health screening initiatives of the healthy population: bowel, breast, cervical etc all of which I totally support. However they lack effective ongoing heart screening for those who are at high risk. I am told review investigations are not really cost effective unless a marked deterioration is noticed so reactive rather than proactive. In my opinion this can cause even greater cost to the NHS without the traumatic personal cost to those who could possibly have received an early intervention. Being denied access to your records whether NHS or Private is unacceptable and negligent - sorry about the rant but this sort of injustice annoys me. If you seek any further private treatment perhaps state at the outset it is on the basis that you will have full access to your records. After my partner recently received treatment in a public hospital in Spain for a heart attack he was discharged with a very comprehensive letter outlining all treatment and a plan for the future plus a DVD of his echo scan that is the way forward.
If this happened after May 2018 this contravenes the General data protection regulations.
The organisation is liable to a big fine see below for more information about your rights.
check your online GP records
Heart of the matter
micro vascular angina good news!
GP Visit
Angiogram and AVR hospital appointment waiting times.........
