You have a legal right to access the personal information held about you by health and care organisations. You can already obtain this information at any time you choose by making a Subject Access Request (SAR), however, it takes up to one calendar month for The Ridge Medical practice to provide the information.
However, The Ridge Medical Practice has switched on access to new record entries, so you will be able to use the NHS App to read new entries made in your GP record. This avoids the need to contact us to request to see this information. The entries will include:
- Name, age and address
- Allergies and adverse reactions
- Treatments and medications
- Immunisations
- Test results
- Letters
- Notes made in your GP record
Please be aware that GPs can manually turn off access to records via the NHS App, either partially or fully, if there is a risk of harm to you or someone else.
To access this service via the NHS App, you will need to register for an NHS account if you are 16 or over and already registered on the NHS App, you will automatically be granted access. If you are below the age of 16 and registered on the NHS App, you will automatically be granted access when you reach the age of 16. If you are aged 11 – 16, you can apply to your GP practice for access to your health record, but it will not be granted automatically. If you are aged 11 – 13 and your GP practice agrees, your access will be limited to the web version of the app.
If you have access to health and care services on someone else’s behalf, for example, a child or a family member (also known as proxy access), (please add a link to number 3 in the services above) you will still have the same level of access to their account . If you presently have full record access, you will keep full record access. However, if you only have proxy access for things like ordering medications, you will need to apply to us at The Ridge to see new record entries for the person. Please contact our Care Navigation team on 01274 425 600, or in person at one of our four reception desks, to discuss that. Once you are registered for proxy access, you will see a linked profile for your family member in the NHS App.
If you move to a new GP practice, you will not be able to see the entries which were made at The Ridge on the NHS App. You will begin afresh and only see entries made by your new GP practice, which will be displayed automatically on the NHS App. This does not mean that any previous information is lost. To see your previous entries, you would need to make a request for access to historic records at your new practice.
You may come across abbreviations in your record which are unfamiliar. You can access a ‘Help with Abbreviations’ section in the NHS App that provides definitions for abbreviations commonly used in medical records to help you understand them. There is also an abbreviations information page online.
If you think a record entry is inaccurate, please see guidance on amending records to find out what you can do about this.
Your GP records are important. Although the NHS App and other approved apps that they are stored on are secure, you should keep your account details safe, just like your bank account details. If you have any concerns, for example, that a family member might log into your account without your permission, you should inform us straight away and we will be able to manually turn off access. Turning off access in the NHS App does not stop you from requesting access to your full record at any time via Subject Access Request (SAR).
Use of the NHS App is optional, and you can still access services in other ways if you are not registered for an NHS account.
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