The Data Protection Act 1998 gives every living person the right to apply for access to their health records. Any request for access to health records must be made in writing or electronically to your local GP for GP records, or to the Records Manager at the hospital for your hospital records.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 (Fees and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2001, you may be charged to view your health records or to be provided with a copy of them.

To provide copies of patient health records the costs are:

• Health records held totally on computer: up to a maximum £10 charge
• Health records held in part on computer and in part manually: up to a maximum £50 charge
• Health records held totally manually: up to a maximum £50 charge

All these maximum charges include postage and packaging costs

To allow patients to view their health records (where no copy is required) the costs are:-

• Health records held totally on computer: up to a maximum £10 change. Unless the records have been added to in the last 40 days
• Health records held manually: up to a maximum £10 change. Unless the records have been added to in the last 40 days
• Health records held in part on computer and in part manually: up to a maximum £10 change. Unless the records have been added to in the last 40 days

Note: if a person wishes to view their health records and then wants to be provided with copies this would still come under the one access request. The £10 maximum fee for viewing would be included within the £50 maximum fee for copies of health records, held in part on computer and in part manually.