If you need to access your health records be they at you GP, a hospital or your dentist. You can apply under the Data Protection Act 1998, as you have a legal right to access your health records.

Now you will probably have a cost to pay, around £10 administration charge is common and if you need a copy of records, notes, results and x-rays then you will probably be charged a photocopying and administration charge however you can only be charged a maximum of £50 in total for this.

You will have to submit your request in writing to the practice / GP surgery and should send the letter recorded delivery keeping a copy for yourself, and you should receive a response in 21 to 40 days, legally they can’t take any longer than 40 day to action your request.

Give your full name, address, date of birth and contact number, and state when you are requesting the records from, this could be all records they hold on you however in some cases this may only go back only 3 or 6 years depending on who it was and what work/advice give was undertaken.

Remember this applies to any health professional, be they GP, dentist, optician or intuitions like a hospital.