Access to your own records
Under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 anyone can make a request to see the information that Medway NHS Foundation Trust holds about them.
To access a copy of your health records, please complete the form to the right of this page and send it, together with copies of two forms of identification from the table below (one from section A and one from section B)
Section A –
Something to prove who you are
- UK Passport
- Passport from eligible countries including EU/EEA
- Driving licence (driving licences without a photo are not acceptable)
- EU/EEA National Identity card
- UK birth certificate (under 18s only)
- National Insurance Card (Under 18s only)
- Medical card (under 18s only)
Section B –
Something with your current home address (less than three months old)
- Utility bill
- Phone bill
- Local authority council tax bill
- HMRC tax code notification
- Benefits or pensions notification letter confirming the right to benefit
If you do not any of these forms of identification, please contact the Trust using the information below and we will discuss how we can deal with your request.
Please complete the form for living patient with ID and send to the following postal address or alternatively you can email to medwayft.sars@nhs.net
Legal Services – SARs, Team Residence 15
Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Medway Maritime Hospital
Windmill Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5NY
How much will it cost?
Requests for records are now free of charge. However if the Trust believes your request to be manifestly unfounded or excessive there are two options available:
- We may request a “reasonable fee” to deal with your request, which will be based on the administrative costs of complying with your request; or
- We may refuse to deal with your request.
If we decide to charge a fee we will promptly notify you of the reasons why and the amount before completing the request. If we refuse to deal with your request, we will promptly notify you of the reasons why.
How long will it take?
The Trust must comply with its obligations under the GDPR and within 1 month from the date of receive the request. Should further information or identification be required, we will write to you asking for this information within a few days of receiving the request. We ask for a timely response so your request can be processed within the required time scale.
The Trust can extend the time to respond by a further two months if the request is complex or we have received a number of requests from the same individual. Should we seek to extend the time to respond, we will notify you of the request to extend without undue delay and within one month of receiving the request and explain the reasons for the extension.
Can I be refused access to my health records?
You can be refused access to your records or part of them if:
- your doctor thinks you or someone else could be harmed as a result of providing the information
- the information relates to, or was provided by, an identified individual apart from yourself or a health professional and it would be unfair to them for you to see that information
- you are applying on behalf of someone who has died or who is no longer capable of managing their own affairs, but who originally provided the information to the Trust on the understanding that it wouldn’t be revealed later
Should you be unhappy with the outcome of your request, you should in the first instance contact the DPO at Medway NHS Foundation Trust who will review your request.
You may also contact the Information Commissioner directly if you remain dissatisfied:
Information Commissioners Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane, Wilmslow
Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a local number.
