rightruccus

Just phoned up our doctors to enquire about getting our medical records and was told that we can't get or take our medical records with us. They are retained by the Scottish office if we leave the country.

How do we deal with this?

Wendy

Do any of you have any on going medical conditions? If you don't then it's really not worth the hassle anyway.

I have an underactive thyroid, have a family history of breast cancer, and a few other minor stuff and the doctors here didn't want to know about any medicals records from the UK. They did blood tests themselves for the thyroid thing and took my word for it with the other stuff and will treat/monitor everything as/when recommended by the specialists in the UK - which I told them about.

After saying that though, you are covered under the data protection act and are entitled to copies of your medical records - at a cost to you. http://www.confidentiality.scot.nhs....ords-draft.pdf

http://www.confidentiality.scot.nhs....al_records.htm

ABCDiamond

Australian doctors do not ask for your previous records when changing doctors, unless you have a special condition, where the records may be advantagous.

rightruccus

Thanks. I was under the impression that was one of the things we needed in on our "to do list" before we go and i thought i read often enough on here people asking for them and no issue, apart from the obvious costs to obtain them from the doctors.
We don't have any real medical issues of note, but yes, my wife also has an underactive thyroid which she's on permanent medication for. (She has about 6 months supply at moment, so that should keep her going 'til we're settled!)

rightruccus

Wendy
Just had a read of the links you sent.
You are an absolute gem of information and can't thank you enough for that.

Cheers.

Wendy

No problem

As for your wife and her thyroid, can I point you to this thread which will be of some use to her, even if its just to talk to others that have the same problem

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...hlight=thyroid

Pollyana

You can't have the originals but if you want a copy they should do that for you.

rightruccus

Thanks Wendy, Clare (my wife) asked me to put it into her favourites so's she can have a read during "leisure time" (not that there's much of that at the moment! Two weeks to go and counting!)

Thanks Pollyana
I'm not particularly bothered about having the records per se, it was only because we thought it was a necessity when we go over to Oz, but looks like that's not the case in our circumstances

chilliman

Hmmm think I may need to ask for mine now, it may take them until Feb to copy them - has a bit of a "head injury" a few years ago, I think my notes will be required & sure they are pretty extensive!!!??