From 1st November 2023, all patients are entitled to have online access to their prospective records where it is safe to do so.
Whilst some patients will not want access to their records, there are other patients who may want access, but where the practice does not feel this is in the best interest of the patient.
If we have not given you prospective access, you may be wondering why. You will find some common examples below, and what you will notice is that for all of them, patient safety is paramount.
The information could cause distress – this could relate to past abuse or medical conditions that the patient has worked hard to move on from and might not want to be reminded of (and / or where it could harm patient recovery)
Because we believe other people may have access to the patient’s record and that it is therefore not safe to give access to the record
There may be a safeguarding risk, and it is vital that this information is as protected as possible
The patient may have limited capacity in some way, and be easily confused by the medical information, or may misunderstand it, which could cause unnecessary upset. This can extend to patients with autism or dyslexia, or any condition which has a cognitive impact
Patients with serious mental health conditions or addictions and where viewing the information may not be helpful to their recovery process
The above list is not exhaustive and therefore serves only to highlight some common examples.
If you feel you should have access to your record, your first step is to write to the practice and ask for access to be provided. We will then review your record and come back to you to let you know our decision. If we feel there are reasons you should not have access to your online record, we will invite you into the practice to discuss it with you and share our concerns.
Thank you