MRI Scan on Disc refused by hospital until spoken to GP. Can anyone help/advise? Never happened before. Always get my scans/images on disc

[Sage16]

Re: refused my MRI Scan Images on Disc. Hi all. I hope you are as well as can be expected. I am absolutely stumped/shocked. For as long as I can remember - at least over a decade, I've known if you have an MRI scan carried out either under the NHS or privately you can go straight to the X Ray department at the end and fill out the form to request your own Scan/images on a disc. It was a "thing". With the NHS it could of course take a few days or a week until you could pick it up and with a private hospital facility you could take the CD with the images away with you on disc on the day.

I've just endured a 2nd in two years sudden, distressing deterioration in my cervical spine again. I weathered this for a month in case it was, I suppose you would say a "flare", although things are pretty bad at the best of times. Also because I am stuck with telephone appointments that are very difficult because you can't get through. But did speak with GP and it was their suggestion to start with another MRI and because my condition was so very worse I offered to pay to have it done privately with the result the scan was carried out within the week.

I reiterated just before the scan about needing the images on disc afterwards and at the end I was helped to the X Ray department to "fill out the forms for it" and just got repeatedly told that I can't have the images. I just wobbled there on my stick trying to make sense it of it. I had to go home, not know when I can get hold of my doctor again or they can get hold of me and then just because I've spoken with them about the results, I am then supposed to phone up the facility and say "hi, I've had the consultation, now can I have my images please"? I'm so confused and upset. When did the rules change? I just paid a fortune to have this scan done and just a year ago after an MRI I was handed my images on disc almost as soon as I came out. This time they didn't even have me fill out the request form while I was there.

These images mean everything to me. I've always had those and after consult the reports printed off by reception. I don't feel as if I'm going to be allowed to have them. Does anybody know what a patient's rights are in August 2021? I've found it hard to keep up with all the changes going on during the pandemic. Thank you I really appreciate any response.

[Emma2017]

As far as I know if you request the disc they give you one. I am not sure which private facility you used? I know you can go to vista scans and they give you one after your scan. Pretty sure all private facilities will give you a disc on request. Just ring them and ring again and write if necessary. Especially if you paid for it there should be no qualms, just ring and say “I paid for a scan and part of contract with you is that I get a disc, if not I will have to lodge a complaint with the facility” (whoever you used).

[Neckback]

Hi Sage16

I would imagine that this is part of your Consumer rights, as they are digital images and covered by it: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con...

My first port of call, would be to go to the top of the tree and find out who is in charge of the Hospital, you seem to get a better reaction when things are escalated to the highest echelons. Never give up!