Accessing your GP-held records via the NHS app or NHS website
ACCESSING YOUR GP-HELD RECORDS VIA THE NHS APP OR NHS WEBSITE
From 1 November 2023 GP practices are asked to provide you with access to your full medical record going forward. This can be accessed via the NHS app (and NHS website) if you have a suitable NHS login.
Your GP medical record contains consultation notes based on conversations between you, your GP and their team: medicines prescribed to you; all test results including hospital investigations; allergies; vaccines; and your medical conditions along with documents that may have been sent from local hospitals, clinics or other agencies, e.g. the police. There is likely to be sensitive and personal information within your medical record.
We are supportive of providing you with access to your record, but we wish to do this safely and make you aware that this is happening so that you can opt out, if you so wish.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
You may wish to consider what you will see, and the risks which may be involved in having such confidential data on your smartphone or online if other people might have access to that information through your devices.
You may prefer your records to remain accessible only to those treating you, with them not appearing on your smartphone or computer.
Government has been clear that if a patient does not wish to have access, then we do not have to provide it. This is why we have asked if you wish to opt out, or have it switched off for the time being.
Everyone can have access to their medication history, allergies, and can order their repeat prescriptions by accessing the NHS App. However from 1 November 2023 unless opted out, patients will see everything, including the notes which have been written by doctors, nurses and others involved in your care, at the GP surgery, and elsewhere via the NHS App or online.
It’s important to remember that these documents may, at times, contain information that could be upsetting, especially if they contain news of a serious condition. It can also be a cause for worry seeing results online when it isn’t clear what the results might mean, and no one is available to ask, as can be the case during the evening, at weekends or until the test result is processed by the Doctor.
Sometimes people with a mental health condition might prefer not to see documents that remind them of difficult times in their life. Letters from mental health teams sometimes go into detail about past events, and great care would be needed in deciding whether you would want to see these letters. It is possible for individual items to be hidden at your request and your GP would be happy to talk about any concerns you may have.
Great care is also needed in case private details might cause harm at home, should people in a difficult or pressured relationship be forced to show their medical record to an abusive partner. Anyone in such a position should make this clear to us at the practice, so we can take steps to keep you safe. This might mean removing access through the NHS app for the time being, or through a careful process where we hide sensitive things.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO NOW?
If you would prefer your full confidential medical records to only be accessible to people treating you then please return to the original text to complete the link.
If you are happy to have your full future confidential medical records available to view by NHS App or online you do not need to do anything and access will start from 1 November 2023.
Please note this will not be your past medical records. Government has enabled this from 1 November 2023 onwards only.
To set up your NHS App please go to: