Update your contact details
It is important that you keep your contact details up to date to ensure continuity of care. Please update us by contacting reception if any of your details change such as name, email, phone number and address.
Application for access to medical records – SAR
If you would like a copy of your medical record you can request an application for access to medical records.
In accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, patients (data subjects) have the right to access their data and any supplementary information held by St Laurence’s Medical Centre. This is commonly known as a subject access request (SAR). Data subjects have a right to receive:
- Confirmation that their data is being processed
- Access to their personal data
- Access to any other supplementary information held about them
- Options for access
As of April 2016, organisations have been obliged to allow patients access to their coded health record online. As of April 2020, this service now enables the patient to view their prospective full medical record. Prior to accessing this information, you will have to visit the organisation and undertake an identity check before being granted access to your records.
In addition, you can make a request to be provided with copies of your health record. To do so, you must submit a SAR form. This can be submitted via a paper copy of the SAR is available from reception. You will need to return the completed paper copy of the SAR to the practice. Patients do not have to pay a fee for copies of their records.
- Time frame
Once the SAR form is submitted, St Laurence’s Medical Centre will aim to process the request within 28 days; however, this may not always be possible. The maximum time permitted to process SARs is one calendar month.
- Exemptions
There may be occasions when the data controller will withhold information kept in the health record, particularly if the disclosure of such information is likely to cause undue stress or harm to you or any other person.
- Data controller
At St Laurence’s Medical Centre the data controller is the practice manager and should you have any questions relating to accessing your medical records, please ask to discuss this with the named data controller.
- Proxy Access
How proxy access works
Proxy access was developed to allow someone other than the patient to access and manage parts of their GP online services account. The proxy is given their own online access account (rather than using the patient’s login details). It is often used by the parents or recognised carers of young children, and recognised carers of adults.
Access given to authorised care staff must be agreed between the:
- resident/patient and or their representative
- care home
- patient’s GP practice
Access is generally given from the date of admission to the care home but longer, retrospective, proxy access can be given if the GP agrees this would be of benefit to the resident.
GP practices can set up their clinical systems to allow access to various elements of the GP records. This is agreed locally, meaning that care home staff can’t see anything that the GP practice does not allow. If, however, a resident does not want care home staff to have proxy access to any part of their record, including ordering medication, the care home must respect the wishes of their resident and continue to work with paper, etc.
Levels of proxy access
As agreed locally, staff in the care home can be given proxy access by the GP practice to:
book and view appointments
order medication, including adding a note to the GP practice (e.g. when an item is marked as needing review)
summary care records (SCR) i.e. allergies and drug sensitivities, acute medication, repeat medication
detailed coded record (DCR) i.e. demographics, allergies/adverse reactions, drug sensitivities, acute and repeat medication, immunisations, test results, coded problems, diagnoses, procedures, coded referrals and letters received (excluding free text, letters and attachments, administrative items)
full record access i.e. DCR plus documents (like hospital discharge letters, referrals, etc) and free-text notes
When record access is enabled for a proxy user, this should start from the date access is given unless an earlier date has been agreed between patient, GP, and care home.
For further information see NHS England » How proxy access works