Access to Medical Records Policy

You are entitled to see what information we hold about you in your medical record. You may also need to ask for copies of this information. There are different ways you can do this.  

Online Access to your Medical Record

We recommend having access to your record via the NHS App on your phone or computer. You can see your test results, request repeat prescriptions and you can also ask to see your consultations with staff at the practice, and any documents in your record such as letters from the hospital.

Online access does not automatically transfer when you change surgery so you will need to set up a new link with Woodlands if you have recently moved to the area.  Please complete the form via the link below to tell us what you would like. You will need to attach a copy of some photo ID such as a passport or driving licence so we can verify your identity before linking you with your medical record.  

Complete the online access application form

Online access is set up to give access to results and consultations going forward from the day that it is set up, not for the past. When you move to a new surgery, it will remove information from your old surgery and only give you access to your new surgery from that date onwards.  It may be possible to include access to your medical record from the past.  Please contact us if you would like that.

Proxy Access to someone else’s online medical record

This might be for your children or for a partner or parent who needs some extra help.

We can usually grant proxy access to parents for their children under the age of 11 automatically.

If you child is over the age of 11, we need their consent and we will need to make sure they understand what they are agreeing to. The doctor will need an appointment with the young person to check that they are happy to let you have access to their medical record. This is called a Gillick competence assessment. 

For people over the age of 16, we also need their agreement to share their personal medical information with another person.  This can be in the form of a letter that confirms they are happy to give access to their medical record to another person.

The doctor has a responsibility to make sure that patients are safe. If they suspect that someone is being abused, they will remove access.

Subject Access Requests

If you want to see your past medical record, we can usually only provide this in a paper format. It takes several hours to produce a copy of your medical record. This is because we must check the record to make sure that any reference to anyone else is blocked out because we do not have permission to share that information with you. This may include discussions about your family members during consultations. Requests for medical records over many years will take longer to prepare than data for a shorter period. So, it would help if you can specify the time-period that should be covered.

Insurance Reports and Medical Reports

If you are getting health insurance, your insurer may ask to see a copy of your medical record to support your application. They will apply to the surgery separately for this. You can ask to see a copy of the report before it goes to the insurer. Your insurer will ask you about this when you apply.

Benefit and Personal Independence Applications (PIP)

If you need information from your medical record to support an application, we can usually provide something called a “Brief Medical Summary”. This is a short report which explains what diagnoses you have and what medication you are taking. It is always worth asking for this first before asking for a full medical record as it will save time and speed up your application.