Payment!

[Bluedragon]

My Drs surgery used to print test results for me, recently they refused and stated they needed a Dr's permission and then they would email. This week I have been told they want completion of the form asking for sight of your medical history, £5 (goes upto £10 if over number of pages) and photo ID when collect. MAD!!! Anyone else have to pay?

[helvella]

The official line on this is here:

nhs.uk/chq/pages/1309.aspx?...

Bear in mind that as of a few days time, we are supposed to be able to get our test results on-line (if we register, etc.)

So far, I have registered for Patient Access at my GP's surgery - but all I can do is make repeat prescription requests, which I was already able to do. Come the start of April, I shall be ensuring that the surgery is at least aware...

[Bluedragon in reply to helvella]

That's interesting thank you. Seems all a bit formal though when it is just to know your latest test results. Will you be charged when you get them sent through by email?

[helvella in reply to Bluedragon]

I don't think they will be sent by email - what I imagine is that you will be able to see them on a private part of the surgery's website (or, more likely, a site contracted out to EMIS or another health system provider). We'll see when the system rolls out - and it might vary somewhat.

Must admit, I had not gone down the route of even thinking about charges. The GP contracts require this facility to be available from April 2015 and their payment is supposed to cover it, but I don't remember ever seeing a categoric "There will not, and never will be, any charges for using this service." It seems implicit but now you've stirred the thought, I want to read it in black and white.

[Serendipity16 in reply to helvella]

Hi - I havent heard about the online access things, how do we get this?

Thanks

[helvella in reply to Serendipity16]

I went to my GP surgery website, eventually found a link, registered. Then had to go and show my passport, and got a letter with access details. Three phone calls later, it worked. But the only facility I have, so far, is to request repeat prescriptions.

My surgery uses Emis and this is a link to a recent statement by them:

emis-online.com/gps-switche...

I'll not be holding my breath for access to other things, but hopefully they will eventually arrive.

Rod

[Hillwoman]

Yes, I've had almost exactly your experience. I'm having great difficulty accessing my GP records, but I refuse to pay for this when I already save them a lot of money by treating myself for several serious conditions. However, I am automatically handed or sent copies of any results or letters generated by hospital outpatient appointments.

[Aurora12]

Hi, Helvella' reply is for formal access to ALL of your records. I've previously had to pay my surgery £50 for this. However, this is simply you requesting the one blood result in hard copy format - no different to be copied into letters from hospital to your GP - which you're entitled to FREE under the NHS Constitution.

Also, it saves your GP time in having to write it all down for you!!

Next, it'll be underhanded 'privatisation' where you're charged just for your GP to tell you what's wrong with you!! (It's 50 Euro's a time for a GP appt. in Eire).

Sorry, that's how I feel about the way things appear to be going!!

[helvella in reply to Aurora12]

The link I posted includes a link to charges - where it says:

Charges for health records that are:

held electronically: a maximum of £10

held in part on computer and in part on other media: a maximum of £10

held entirely on other media: up to a maximum £10 charge, unless the records have been added to in the last 40 days in which case there should be no charge.

Not updated to include Patient Access, I note.

[Aurora12 in reply to helvella]

Hi Helvella,

Please accept my apologies for appearing to contradict you!

I had a similar scenario where Receptionist told me I had to pay £10 to get an Occupational Therapist's response (after GP referred me there).

When I queried the charge with GP, he printed response off (about MY condition) there and then, free.

I find it completely unacceptable the way Healthcare is going - to be charged to find out your results(!) completely contradicts NICE/NHS guidelines.

When it took a few years for the country to provide their details for the Summary Care Records (SCR) - which the public were supposed to be able to access via My Healthspace - it never happened - they got rid of My Healthspace!! As for DTR (Detailed Care Records), whatever happened to that stage?

N.B. Thanks, also, for pointing us in direction of April changes which I wasn't aware of.

I'm just pasting a brief extract here for anyone to view:-

Extract from the NHS Constitution…..

nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Right...

Extract from ‘NHS Values’…..

Respect and dignity

Every individual who comes into contact with the NHS and organisations providing health services should always be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of whether they are a patient, carer or member of staff. This value seeks to ensure that organisations value and respect different needs, aspirations and priorities, and take them into account when designing and delivering services. The NHS aims to foster a spirit of candour and a culture of humility, openness and honesty, where staff communicate clearly and openly with patients, relatives and carers.

[helvella in reply to Aurora12]

Contradiction is fine by me. It is still confusing, I have always thought the 40 day rule applied to all media including computer records. As presented it appears not.

The Information Commissioner's Office makes it clear that providing subject access must not be viewed as a revenge stream but ten pounds for printing a single sheet is a bad joke.

[Hillwoman in reply to helvella]

I really like your idea of a 'revenge stream'. It feels that way whenever I've raised concerns with my practice and afterwards tried to get a copy of the record, only to be charged for it!

[helvella in reply to Hillwoman]

Much better than the revenue stream I meant.

[SusieHaigh]

I think there may have been some new rules

Up until a few months ago I could ask the receptionist for my results and she simply read them off the screen

Last week I was told they cannot give them out with a doctors permission. I had to book a call back from my doctor to get them!! Such a waste of time and money

[helvella in reply to SusieHaigh]

A number of people have had online access to results for a few years. This has usually been some form of research or for specific disease groups. When being set up, these patients have had to sign up and accept they may see unvalidated, worrying or other "bad" things - and have to accept the impact they might have.

I suspect that most people here are aware of the possibilities but it could be quite devastating to get a test result which implies an awful outcome when on your own, and without anyone to contact. People need to be warned of this and advised what they can do if it happens.

[Bluedragon]

It is all inefficient, takes up too much of the Drs time which should be spent listening to patients!

I like the idea that we can access our records online - providing it is secure of course!

I would dearly like to go back and view previous results....

[Leilanilea in reply to Bluedragon]

Bluedragon,

As an example of possibilities for accessing your records online, here is what I can do through my HMO, Health Maintenance Organization, Kaiser-Permanente, in U.S.

Order prescription refills and have them mailed to home or pick them up

Access majority of Lab Tests and pull up past results which can be illustrated in a graph

Access all past office visit notes, diagnoses, medications, blood pressure and other vital signs

Make appointments with general/internal medicine

Hospital inpatient info is also available online

I cannot obtain reports of diagnostic procedures, such as CT scans, x-rays, EKGs, but my docs are very good at printing copies and mailing or handing to me. Some report results can be obtained via phone.

I love having all this available but the catch is, it is only there because all info is recorded on computer and visits are about 15 minutes...so doctors, nurses, etc. are doing entry simultaneous with talking to patient, and this does not make for good interaction.

I'm not trying to say US has better system, just offering examples of what can be done.

Best,

Leilani

[Bluedragon]

I too like idea of a revenge stream lol!!

[Secondchance]

This is just a bit mean! I suppose strictly speaking they can charge under access to records but this will just get peoples' backs up. If I was asked to pay, I'd then be inclined to ask for the whole lot of my records rather than just pay £10 for a few results!

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Not quite the same but I asked the hospital that diagnosed my B12 deficiency if I could have copy of test results and if they could tell me if nitrous oxide was used in the surgery to pin my ankle. Was told I could have the info for £25. The info turned out to be a copy of my written records and actually didn't answer either of the questions I'd asked - wrote back complaining and pointing out that the test result wasn't in there - months ago now - but still haven't had a reply ... curiously there were things in the written records that didn't really make much sense (like a note about my having a chest infection so I shouldn't be fed unless I was upright ... which didn't make any sense and I think it was probably someone putting the note on the wrong records - quite worrying). Ought to contact PALS to see if they can help me get the info I requested.

Think it is a problem when dealing with queries is left to junior staff who just don't understand the request - which is what has happened in my case - though doesn't explain the lack of response to complaint.

Charges are supposed to cover administrative costs so £10 for printing out a test result is, to say the least, not in the spirit of the provisions that allow charges. All part of a rules based culture that has seen common sense go out of the window!

[Chancery]

I don't know if it's because I'm in Scotland, but I don't get charged for these. Both docs and receptionists just hand them over off the printer. I also read somewhere on a government/NHS website recently that they shouldn't charge more than £1 a sheet, i.e. printing charges, but this seems to be at odds with what all of you are saying. Are we talking about looking at old tests or something, because I'm pretty sure you should only be being charged pennies at best. And you are entitled by law to see your health records so this is all the more confusing.

Must see if I can find that website!

[helvella in reply to Chancery]

From what I read, it varies across England and Wales from surgery to surgery and, sometimes, from doctor to doctor, receptionist to receptionist.

[Chancery in reply to helvella]

I know, so it would appear. I can only surmise Scottish NHS is different. Either that or my hallucinations are back and I'm imagining websites!