Accessing health records

You can request access to health records which we hold by

Using our secure online portal – see our guide to using the portal.
Emailing [email protected]
Writing to us at:

Disclosures,
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust,
St Nicholas Hospital,
Jubilee Road,
Gosforth,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE3 3XT

Please note:

The Trust can only give you access to records that we hold. We cannot give you access to your GP, dentist or optician records.
If you are applying to access the records of more than one person, you must complete a separate application for each person.
If using our secure online portal, please make sure you select the correct application form.

Accessing your own health records

To request a copy of your health records, you can use our free secure online portal. (You can also make your request in other ways, see the top of this page.)

Accessing the health records of someone who has died

If you want to see the health records of someone who has died, you can only do so if you are either:

a personal representative (the executor or administrator of the deceased person’s estate)
someone who has a claim resulting from the death (this could be a relative or another person)

You will need to provide evidence that you are authorised to request access:

Type of applicant

Type of Evidence

Deceased person’s personal representative. E.g. executor or administrator of estate, or a person with the consent of the personal representative.

Documentation identifying them as the executor of the will or the administrator of the deceased’s estate. Such as:

Copy of the Will / Grant of Probate
Copy of the Letters of Administration
Letter from the Executor to give authority

Person with a claim arising out of the person’s death.

Solicitors letter received as part of the claim setting out the nature of the claim
Insurance claim/letter

Only information directly relevant to a claim will be disclosed.

To request a copy of a deceased person’s health records, use our free secure online portal. (You can also make your request in other ways, see the top of this page.)

Accessing another person’s health records

Accessing your child’s health records

Children aged 13 or older are usually considered to have the capacity to give or refuse consent to a person with parental responsibility (as defined in the Children Act 1989) requesting access to their health records. A person with parental responsibility can only make an application on the behalf of a child if it is shown that the child does NOT have capacity.

A person with parental responsibility will usually be entitled to access the records of a child who is aged 12 or younger.

You will need to provide proof of your relationship, such as a birth certificate, adoption certificate, or benefits letter.

Helping someone else apply for access to their health records

If you are helping someone else apply for access to their health records (such as acting on behalf of an organisation or Solicitor), you can also use our secure online portal. (You can also make your request in other ways, see the top of this page.)

If the person does not have capacity to make their own decision in respect of their health and welfare, then you may have a Lasting Power of Attorney (Health and Welfare) document. We will need to see a copy of this.

If the person has consented to you having this information, then you will need to confirm that consent has been provided.

If you have any further questions, please email [email protected]

Frequently asked questions:

Will I need to pay a fee?

We will not charge for providing you a copy of your records.

However, we may charge you an administration fee if you ask us to give more than one copy of the same information. We may also charge a ‘reasonable fee’ if a request is deemed excessive or repetitive.

Will I need to prove my identity?

Yes. We need to check the identity of the person requesting access to records, to protect personal data from unauthorised access.

To prove your identity, you must provide a copy of at least one form of ID from each of the two lists below (proof of name, and proof of address).

Forms of ID you can use as proof of name

Please provide a copy of at least one of the following:

Current signed passport (photo page)
Original birth certificate (UK birth certificate
issued within 12 months of the date of birth in
full form, including those issued by UK
Photographic ID card (employer, student etc.)
Current photocard driving licence (this can only be used as either proof of name or proof of address, not both)
Benefit book or original notification letter from Benefits Agency (this can only be used as either proof of name or proof of address, not both)
Full old-style driving licence
Photographic registration cards for self-employed individuals in the construction industry
Firearms or shotgun licence
Residence permit issued by the Home Office to EEA nationals on sight of own country passport
National identify card bearing a photograph of the applicant

Forms of ID you can use as proof of address

Please provide a copy of at least one of the following:

Utility bill (dated within past 3 months)
Bank, Building Society or Credit Union statement or passbook (dated within the last 3 months)
Council tax bill (current council tax year)
Current photocard driving licence (this can only be used as either proof of name or proof of address, not both)
Benefit book or original notification letter from Benefits Agency (this can only be used as either proof of name or proof of address, not both)
Original mortgage statement from a recognised lender (dated within the last full year)
Council or housing association rent card or tenancy agreement for the current year
Solicitors letter confirming recent house purchase or land registry confirmation of address (dated within the last 3 months)
NHS Medical card or letter of confirmation from GP’s practice of registration with the surgery
HMRC self-assessment letters or tax demand dated within the current financial year
Electoral Register entry

How long does the Trust have to respond to my request?

We must respond to a Subject Access Request made under the Data Protection Act 2018 within one calendar month. (Unless advised otherwise by a Court Order.)

We must respond to a request made under the Access to Health Records Act 1990, (for records of people who have died) within 40 calendar days. (Unless advised otherwise by a Court Order.)

These timescales start once we have received satisfactory proof of identity of the person requesting access.

If we need further clarification, several requests have been made, or the request is complex, we may need extra time – up to two extra months – to consider the request. If this is needed, we will inform the requester within one month and explain why.

How can I see the progress of my request?

If you use our secure online portal to make your request, you can track the status of your request there via the ‘Manage Requests’ section. We will also email you if you need to provide more information for us to process your request. (The emails will come from “Sars No Reply”.) You can log in to the portal at any time to check your request and respond to any messages.

If you need more help, please see our guide to using the portal.

Can you refuse my request / will receive everything I have asked for?

There are strict laws around what we can and cannot provide access to. We cannot always provide all the records you have requested.

Circumstances where we might refuse all or part of your request include:

When we are not given enough information to confirm the identity of the applicant.
When the person whose records are being requested has not given the consent legally required.
Where a patient has died and their record includes a note made at the patient’s request that they did not wish access to be given to their personal representative, or to any person having a claim arising from the patient’s death.
Circumstances where, in the opinion of the record holder, the information may cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the patient or any other person.

When providing access would disclose information relating to or provided by someone else (a third party) who had not consented to the disclosure.
If the information is no longer available.

How will I receive the records I have requested?

If you use our secure online portal, you will receive an email to let you know your records are ready.

You will need to log in to the Portal and follow the instructions to download the electronic files. (If you need more help, please see our guide to using the portal).

Once you have downloaded these files, you are responsible for storing the records confidentially and securely. You must also dispose of them securely when they are no longer needed.

If you requested records in another way (e.g. email, post, etc.), a member of the Disclosures Team will get in touch with you to ask about the best way to send the information to you.

What if I do not agree with what is written in the records?

If there are factual inaccuracies in records, we can correct these after discussion with an appropriate health professional. (This does not apply to opinions which may be written in records.)

If you want to raise concerns about the contents of your records, or how your information is being used, please contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected]. They can help you to communicate with the service and discuss it further.

How long will you keep my request and supporting documentation i.e. copy of my passport and utility bills?

We will keep a record of your request for three years from when we close the request. We keep this information in line with the NHS Digital Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care 2016.

To find out more about how we manage your information, please see our privacy notice.

If you have questions which are not answered above or in our portal user guide, please contact the Disclosures Team at [email protected] or on 0191 246 6896.

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