Request to access health records

Can I see my own health record?

Yes, under the Data Protection legislation, individuals have the right to access their own information held by us; however there are a few exceptions, e.g. if you are still undergoing treatment. Please talk to the healthcare professional responsible for your care about this. 

If you are no longer receiving care then please contact the Subject Access Request Team for access to your Medical Records. wcft.sarlegalrequests@nhs.net 

How much does it cost?

As of 25 May 2018 there is no longer a charge for this service. However, you may be charged a reasonable fee for repeated requests for further copies of the same information.

 

Can I be refused access?

For the majority of requests you will be allowed access to your records. However, in some instances access may be denied to all or part of your records for the following reasons:

- If your doctor or another senior healthcare professional thinks seeing your records before seeing one of them could cause you or another serious harm or distress.

- If the information involves an identified person, who does not consent to this information being disclosed. This does not include healthcare professionals.

- If you are applying on behalf of someone who has died or who is not cable of managing their own affairs and they originally instructed that the information should not be disclosed.

 

How do I apply to access my health record?

If you would like to apply to access your health records, we ask you to complete our application form in order for us to gather all the information needed and return it to us via post or email (details below) along with copies of two forms of ID. Once the completed application form has been received, your application will begin to be processed.

Please click here to download the form

 

By Email:

wcft.sarlegalrequests@nhs.net 

By Post:

SAR/Legal Team
Subject Access Requests
Medical Records Department

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
Lower Lane
Liverpool
L9 7LJ

Or telephone: 0151 556 3425/3426

 

Can I change my records?

We have a legal obligation to ensure your information is accurate and up to date. We are however only obliged to make corrections to your records if the record contains incorrect facts such as name, address etc. If you believe that medical information or a clinician’s opinion that is noted on your file is incorrect this cannot be changed for safety reasons however a note can be added to your file with your view.

If you wish to make changes to name, address etc. then please speak to your healthcare professional.