Another member raised the issue of how long Hospital records are kept. I was unaware of the time limitations and for those of you who are going to ask for copies of hospital records this chart will be useful. Ordinary hospital records (non cancer) can be destroyed after 8 years if there has been no contact.
Here is the link to the full document
Have you ever heard of a document held in people's medical records called
"Your Significant Medical History"
and which is
"the first document a doctor will see, highly influential and prejudicial" ?
Source : medicalerrorinterviews.podb...
I'm assuming this isn't just the same document as the Summary Care Record, but I could be wrong.
I would like to see my significant medical history, assuming it exists - and I think it probably does. I also suspect it has a few wrong diagnoses on it. Do you know if it can be refused if it has diagnoses on it which are potentially libellous, or incorrect, or are related to psychiatric diagnoses?
Also, do you know anything about how to get incorrect information in medical records of any kind corrected?
From my understanding this is the Problem List on your GP online record which is uploaded to the NHS spine as the Summary Care Record. You can ask your GP to see your Summary Care Record which can be accessed by any Doctor in an Emergency. Medications and allergies are part of the Summary Care Record too. I had a battle to remove a heart condition listed on mine! This was due to having another patients ECG in my GP paper record. You would be wise to check.
how can this be legal? what if I needed to challenge the care I received. I take it you have not right to complain either?
Just found this! On NHS website. I am sure it used to be 3 years.
Time limits
You should make your complaint as soon as possible. Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of the date of the event that you're complaining about, or as soon as you found out about the problem.
The time limit can sometimes be extended but only if it's still possible to investigate the complaint. For example, the time limit could be extended if it would have been very difficult for you to complain earlier, because you were undergoing trauma.
but really what would be the good of complaining? if they had destroyed them I have nothing to gain? It should be made public that records are destroyed.
I agree there is so much we don’t realise about the NHS and it’s regulations. A complaint after 8 years with no medical records would be rejected I’m afraid. However it is my experience that complaints are rarely useful and we have two complaints that have been ongoing for two years with no answers or action apart from a lot of talking and refusing too see a problem. Hospitals should not be investigating themselves the outcome will always be muted to their advantage. The stress involved was too much to cope with, we are resigned to the fact no answers will be forthcoming and no learning for staff will be the result. Sad but true.
how can notes be a legal document and the destroyed when it suits them. there is something very fundamentally wrong with this
I agree with you it feels wrong to me too but I don’t there is much we can do to challenge it. I obtained all my GP notes to see thyroid readings but there were no numbers recorded just described as normal. It is very frustrating to have lost information or not have it recorded in the first place. I keep records of everything now.
Medical records
Signing up for online medical records
Medical records
Patient access - medical record access removed
