Subject Access Request (SAR)

Wibbles

I used to live elsewhere – where I had a life changing accident in 1990 – I have since then lived in another part of the country – I am now trying to discover exactly what happened to me, all those years ago.

I have obtained some records from the hospital in my original area – but these are lacking detail and I know that my GP records contain much more information.

I raised a SAR with my old GP surgery who tell me that they can’t help me and to contact my present GP to obtain my old medical records – I have, obviously done this and have my present records from more recent times but NOT from 34 years ago – they tell me that they can’t help me and to contact my old surgery – because my old surgery will hold my old records – but, my old records are not available from my present surgery.

Could someone please confirm whether my old surgery should still hold my old records or whether they will have been destroyed or should have been forwarded to my present surgery ?

The law says that medical records are to be held for 8 – 10 years after the patient death but not WHERE they should be held.