Requesting copies of your health records
To request a copy of your health records, download and complete the Subject Access Request (SAR) application form. Please then send the completed and signed form, together with any accompanying evidence listed in the form, to sar.cwh@nhs.net. Alternatively, you can send it by post.
FAQs
How do I request a copy of my health records?
Patients and staff can either apply in writing or if they need help can call the Health Records SAR Team using the contact details below. It helps to identify the correct and relevant records if you are able to fill in the request form.
You can either email the form to sar.cwh@nhs.net or post the form to:
Business Administration Office
Health Records Department
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
369 Fulham Road
London
SW10 9NH
T: 020 3315 5207/8352
Can family members request health records for a patient?
Donees of a Lasting Power of Attorney or court-appointed deputies can access the medical records where the patients lack the capacity to make this decision themselves. Persons with parental responsibility can access the medical records of a child, unless the child is competent and objects to this.
Can children ask to have copies of their health records?
Yes. Children who have sufficient maturity and understanding (“Gillick-competent”) can request their records. They can also refuse or permit access to their records by those with parental responsibility.
Can NHS staff look at their own records?
No, only those involved in the patient’s care can view this patient’s health record. If staff need a copy of their records, they need to follow the SAR process.
Do relatives have a right to access a deceased patient’s record?
When the patient has died, their records can be accessed by their personal representatives (the executor or the administrator of the estate) or those who have a claim arising out of the patient’s death.
Why are we asking you to supply evidence of your identification and right to access the records?
The Trust is committed to ensure that personal confidential data of our patients is handled legally and securely. To maintain patient confidentiality, and only disclose the records to those who have a right to access them, we ask for this evidence. Proof of identification required for security and is part of the Trust’s measures to protect patients’ personal data from unauthorised access.
Are there any circumstances when information can be withheld?
The Data Protection Act 2018 sets out a number of exemptions, ie situations where the record or a part of the record may not be disclosed following a SAR, for example:
- Where disclosing this information might cause serious harm to physical or mental health of the patient or another person
- Records which contain information about another person (for example, a relative)
- Information that was provided by the patient under the expectation that it would remain confidential.
- Information disclosure of which might prejudice an on-going criminal investigation or another legal inquiry
What do patients do if they are not happy with information being withheld?
If you believe that you did not receive all of the records that you asked for, please contact the Health Records SAR Team. If you are dissatisfied with the way their Subject Access Request has been dealt with, you can discuss this with the Trust Data Protection Officer via dpo.chelwest@nhs.net.