Information about me
Home » Contact us »
Access to your health records
The General Data Protection Regulation allows you to view or obtain a copy of the personal information we hold about you, this may be held on a computer or manually. This is called a subject access request.
There is normally no charge for requesting a copy of records, however, if the request is unfounded or excessive, under the regulation we have the right to refuse a request for information or charge a reasonable fee to cover administrative costs.
All copies of health records will be sent by password protected email.
Please tell us if you prefer to receive information by special delivery.
Medway Community Healthcare aims to process requests within 21 days, but no more than one calendar month from the date of valid request.
-
Subject requests made by a representative
Allows an individual to assign an authorised representative to access their health records on their behalf, satisfactory proof of identity and consent of the patient and applicant are required.
-
Subject access requests made on behalf of children and young people
Those with parental responsibility have a statutory right to apply for access to their children’s health records, although if the child is capable of giving consent, he or she must consent to the access. We will require sight of a child’s birth certificate or a certified copy in order to establish parental responsibility.
-
Subject access request forms and contact details
If you would like to make a subject access request, we have created a form that when completed in full, identifies all the information we require to action your request promptly. Please send completed forms to us at the address below.
General Data Protection Regulation online form
or complete our Application under General Data Protection Regulation (living individual) printable version
Information governance officer
Medway Community Healthcare
MCH House
Bailey Drive
Gillingham Business Park
Gillingham
Kent ME8 0PZ -
Accessing health records of a deceased individual
Access to Health Records Act 1990 allows a deceased patient’s personal representative (usually the executor of the will or administrator of the estate) access their health records or a person who may have a claim arising from the patient’s death access to records relevant to the claim. If you would like to make a request under the Access to Health Records Act, we have created a form that when completed in full, identifies all the information we require to action your request promptly. Please send requests to us at the address below.
complete our Access to Health Records online form
Information governance officer
Medway Community Healthcare
MCH House
Bailey Drive
Gillingham Business Park
Gillingham
Kent ME8 0PZor Application under Access to Health Records Act 1990 (deceased individual) (Printable version)
or email us at medch.dataprotection@nhs.net
-
Situations where information may be limited or denied
N.B: There is no obligation to comply with a subject access request unless the health professional has the relevant information necessary to retrieve the health record i.e. details of treatment and by which service.
The GDPR enables Medway Community Healthcare to limit or deny access to an individual’s health record where:
information released may cause serious harm to the physical or mental health or condition of the patient, or any other person, or
access would disclose information relating to or provided by a third person who can be identified and has not consented to disclosure unless:
the third party is a health professional who has compiled or contributed to the health records or who has been involved with the care of the patient
the third party, who is not a health professional, gives their consent to disclosure of that information
it is reasonable to disclose without that third party’s consent
For more details on subject access requests full guidance is available from:
-
Complaints
If you are dissatisfied with the way we have dealt with your subject access request, please write to:
Information Governance Manager
Medway Community Healthcare
MCH House
Bailey Drive
Gillingham Business Park
Gillingham
Kent ME8 0PZor email us at medh.dataprotection@nhs.net
If you are still dissatisfied with the outcome of our review of your complaint you can complain directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office