Need help with a non-urgent medical or admin request? Contact us online.

Subject Access Request (SAR)

You will appreciate that health data relating to any individual is highly confidential and the Practice must ensure that it releases such data only to the person to whom it relates, or to a person authorised to act on his or her behalf. If you require to see any health data, then you will need to complete a Subject Access Request Form. These forms are available from our reception.

Once you have completed the form, you will need to return it to the practice in person, with a form of ID. We are unable to accept any Subject Access Requests without ID.

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) gives you the statutory right of access to any information, manual (paper) or computerised.  You may wish to authorise someone else to make your application on your behalf and if you have parental responsibilities, you may make an application to see your child’s notes, if they are under the age of twelve years.

You do not have to give a reason for applying for access to your General Practice records. If you do not need access to your entire records, it would be helpful if you would inform us of the periods and area of your health records that you require, along with details which you feel may have relevance (e.g., clinic type, location, dates).

Timescale

The Practice will deal with your request as quickly as possible. If you request copies of all or part of your medical record, these will be ready within the allocated timescales specified by the Regulations (which is currently 28 days from receipt of your accurately completed form and confirmation of consent), and we will telephone you when they are available for you to come to the Practice to collect them. Under certain circumstances, this period can be extended to 3 months but we will keep you informed of the progress of your request during this extended period.

Fees

We will not make a charge for the first request for access to your medical records. We may, however, charge for subsequent requests or if we deem that the volume of information requested is excessive. You have the right to simply view your records (i.e. not receive a copy in a permanent form); information on how to arrange this is detailed below.

Type of request

If you request to see the original records, you will be invited to make an appointment at a mutually convenient time to view them.  If you request copies, these will be ready within the allocated timescales specified by the Regulations, and we will telephone you when they are available for you to come to the Practice to collect them. 

Proof of identity

A form of identity must be provided. This is to ensure information is not released to unauthorised individuals. The table below outlines the proof of identity we can accept.

TYPE OF APPLICATIONIDENTIFICATION REQUIRED
Patient applying for their own Photographic (i.e., passport or driving licence), or
a document confirming name and address
Third Party Applying. Consent of Patient will be 
required  BEFORE the request will be 
processed
Photographic (i.e., passport or driving licence), or a document confirmation name and address of the third party
Applying on behalf of a child 

We will ALWAYS obtain consent for release of records from a child age 12+ to <16 if a third party is making request
The child’s birth certificate and ID of the parent/guardian, which can be photographic (i.e., passport or driving licence), or
a document confirming name and address

If you are completing this application on behalf of another person, the Practice will require their authorisation before we can release the data to you. The person whose information is being requested should sign the relevant section within the form. If the patient is a child (i.e., under 16 years of age) the application may be made by someone with parental responsibilities – in most cases this means a parent or guardian. If the child is capable of understanding the nature of the application, his or her consent should be obtained or, alternatively, the child may submit an application on their own behalf.  Children will, generally, be presumed to understand the nature of the application if aged between 13 and 16 however, all cases will be considered individually.