Patient Access to Online Records and Access to your Medical Records

Patient Access to Online Records and Access to your Medical Records

From 4th October 2023, most of our patients over 16 can see any new information added to their health record. This includes notes from your GP appointments, test results, medications, and letters from hospitals added to your record since 4th October 2023. This means that you will be able to see any notes from your appointments with your GP, as well as test results and any letters that are saved on your records.

This only applies to records from your doctor (GP), not from hospitals or other specialists. For most people, access will be automatic, and you won’t need to do anything. General practice will be able to customise or remove access for individuals if this is deemed inappropriate.

You can view this via the NHS App, NHS website, or another GP online app you use.

How can you get registered on the Online APP

You can look at the information of how to access your online records in the website page link below

Online Access Registration

You can visit www.nhs.uk/gp-record for more information or visit our website.

Medical Disclaimer regarding Online Access to Notes

The health information on your patient access notes is intended for use solely by patients. If you are ever in any doubt about information you read or you are unsure what to do, you should email us with your question on the link below. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in your online records is correct and up-to-date, this cannot be guaranteed. The Practice cannot be held responsible for harm, loss or damage resulting from inaccuracies in their patients online records, or actions taken by persons in response to reading information on their medical records.

If you don’t want to be able to see your record, send us a message to let us know that you do not wish to see your records.

https://florey.accurx.com/p/M82043

For non-urgent enquiries about your medical notes, we reserve the right to take upto 40 working days (2 months) to answer any questions you may have about your online records.

The Practice reserves the right to change its systems and procedures at any time without notice

Send us a message about your concern or query regarding your medical records on the link below:

https://florey.accurx.com/p/M82043

Terms and Conditions of Online Access to Records

1. Only patients over the age of 16 will be allowed to have full online access to their notes. Proxy access for parents may be allowed for patients on or under the age of 12 years of age following a request. (see online access registration to download consent form needed for proxy access)
2. Use of your security details by an unauthorised person may allow them access to confidential medical information about you; therefore these details must be kept confidential at all times.
3. Your security details must be kept safe and secure at all times. Patients must NOT share their security details to any other person including family and practice staff. We will NEVER ask you for your security details. If someone asks you for these details please inform the practice immediately.
4. You must use all reasonable precautions to protect your security details. This includes not using a public computer for access to the service and using the log off icon when you have finished with the service.

Some of the problems regarding online access to records-Concerns about Safeguarding

While enabling patients to view their medical records through the NHS App will be beneficial to the majority of patients, there may be challenges for a minority. This is especially true in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults, as the record may contain information that is confidential and sensitive, which the patient must not see, or could be harmful if the patient is unable to keep their record secure, such as in cases of coercion.

The importance of safeguarding patients from harm is paramount. It may be appropriate to redact specific information entered into the GP medical record or prevent the patient from having access.  Harmful and confidential third-party information needs to be redacted as it is being entered into systems.

Ahead of the change, where there may be safeguarding concerns, healthcare workers can prevent patients from having automatic access to new information by adding a code to their record.

Records with the code “Enhanced review indicated before granting access to your own health record” will be excluded from the changes if applied before switch-on.

They should then be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to identify if access can be provided without a risk of serious harm. A code will only work automatically before the switch-on. Applying a code after the change or switch-on will not automatically exclude access; this must be done manually on the record access settings.

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-app/nhs-app-guidance-for-gp-practices/guidance-on-nhs-app-features/accelerating-patient-access-to-their-record

Removal or redaction/partial access of Online Access to records

1. The practice reserves the right to remove or partially remove online access to any patient who abuses or fails to follow any of these guidelines. Abuse of the system includes, but is not exclusive to, the following:
   1. Repeatedly sending needless, repetitive or abusive messages to the practice.
   2. Repeatedly booking and cancelling appointments.
   3. Repeatedly booking appointments and not attending them.
   4. Any kind of foul or abusive language being sent through any of the services.
   5. Booking appointments for patients other than the owner of the account. It is not permitted to book an appointment through an account for a different person to attend.
   6. Repeatedly requesting prescriptions that you do not need.

2. There are certain circumstances in which full access to a patient’s health record may be denied. These include cases where the release is likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the subject or another individual.

The practice reserves the right to remove access or limit information from their online records service to any patient who we believe may suffer harm from having automatic access to their online patient records. This includes, but is not exclusive to, the following:

1. 1. Patients we have significiant safeguarding concerns about or who could be subject to coercion due to their health or any other vulnerable status.
   2. Patients who have significant amounts of third party information in their notes relating to other family members.
   3. Patients who are known to suffer from health related anxiety or any other significant mental health concerns or issues and who may suffer as a result of having online open access to their records.
   4. Patient who lack capacity and are unable to understand how to keep their data safe. Proxy access may be allowed in these circumstances to official guardians.
   5. Patients who have had a recent diagnosis which has not yet been explained to them in detail by either the consultant to a GP.

Access to your full Retrospective and Prospective Records prior to aswell as post  4th October 2023

You have the right to know what information we hold about you. All manual and computerised health records about living people are accessible under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Competent patients may apply for access to their own records, or may authorise a third party, such as their lawyer, to do so on their behalf. 

Parents may have access to their child’s records if this is in the child’s best interests and not contrary to a competent child’s wishes.

People appointed by a Court to manage the affairs of mentally incapacitated adults may have access to information necessary to fulfil their function. There are exemptions to this service.

Please send us a message if you wish to see or obtain a copy of your record. If you are referred to a hospital specialist you are also welcome to request a copy of the referral letter. A fee (up to £50) may be charged depending on the type of record and whether you require any copies.

https://florey.accurx.com/p/M82043