27 years on IB

Thanks for the info, i did think that they had to keep them for a certain amount of time after death.

Chrissy V

Perhaps it depends on location. The information I provided is what was sent to me yesterday following my complaint of loss of records.
The only record on file in regards to me was two letters from 2008/2009. They could find no paperwork relating to me from any address or my previous married name or in my maiden name or to do with my NHS no.I am 55 yrs old, so I would have presumed information would have been somewhere on me if keeping records were meant to be kept until you die. The answer was that they do not have a duty of legal care to keep all records pertaining to a patient either in store at any location.
Hospital records are kept for up to 10 years if as an in patient. Your hospital no is used thruout the UK and this can be used to locate xrays/mri scans etc.
If you see a private doctor, they are not required to pass on any thing to do with you to your NHS doctor.
I have just spoken to medical records in Dorset where I am and they concur.

Well if thats the case, they won,t have my records because the ones i need date back to 1982 through to 1989, and iv,e also moved area and got divorced so i have a previous name, also i,m 58 going on 59, i,m getting more dispondent by the day.


Chrissy V

Hi pcm I have never heard of this, (not sure about private doctors) but I know records have to kept somewhere until death, sometimes are kept for up to 10 years after (if there was an inquest). I will Google it to find out. I find it very strange, I know there are certain cases, where this format is different. i.e. you move abroad, you are held in HMP for life. I will look it up. My info comes from having worked within the health service all my life
and I would be very worried if my records were destroyed, as I have 3 autoimmune diseases, which I have had since childhood, and my records are very relevant, suppose you had cancer in your teens, or were severly allergic to something, your records are a very important part of your health, like an encyclopedia of information, i will now google for the info. and see what it says.

So similiar Chrissy.
Mine were classified as a 'deactive file'.
Name changes - pretty normal for females,address changes, god I am over 50, so would follow I may have moved about.Visiting private Dr's/consultants, my fault I did not realise one had to be so explicit.I lived in the Middle East during the 8o's. This is why a deactive file was put in place.I knew their would be nothing from 1978 to 1992, but had not realised all were destroyed. Also, if at any point one does not consult a NHS practise/hospital in any given time span of 2 years then a deactive file can be put in place, and voila records destroyed again.