CharleneG

Hi everyone

I think the answer to this one is going to come from someone who has already made the move.
My OH and I are landing in Melbourne next month so I have been busy getting all of the paperwork together.
When I asked our GP's receptionist for a copy of our medical records their initial reaction was "No, you can't have a copy, they belong to the NHS" until I quoted the Department of Health website at them which clearly stated I was allowed to have a copy.
After putting my request in writing to them they have given me a computer printout which covers the last 8 or 9 years history with a 1 line summary for each visit to the doctors including the date and any treatment given.

My question is this:
Will this be enough detail for my new GP in Australia to take me on?

In contrast, I am getting a full photocopy of my hospital records.

Thank you in advance for your replies.
Charlene

Pollyana

Your new GP won't want your medical notes. You don't register with a GP the same as in the UK and you can see a different one each time if you wish. There is no central system of medical notes like there is back home and you UK ones will almost certainly remain in your possession.

CharleneG

Thanks Pollyanna, I was just a bit concerned as I have an ongoing condition which I take regular medication for so I was keen to make sure I had enough information for a GP to understand all of my treatment.

hopalong

Hi Charlene

I asked my GP the same question last week. They said the same as yours that medical records belong to NHS and so can't be taken. However they appeared quite used to this request and said they produce summary documents (which is presumably what you have) at 24 hours notice and I should take that.

Like you, I have also had copies of hospital records done in the past, I am not doing that for Australia, there they just charge a set amount and copy everything, as you say.

I obviously don't know the detail of your illness, but would have thought a doctor in Australia would want to see you before prescribing anything and then presumably could diagnose you in the same way that you were diagnosed in UK. If you wish to avoid repeating any tests that you had in the UK, maybe you can ask your GP or consultant to write a letter that you can take or maybe ask your GP what you believe that another doctor would want to see without redoing tests? Or maybe your Australian GP would write directly to your consultant here?

Sarah

PS: as an aside, I have a very common name, so pretty much all my medical records up to about 5 years ago have gone to other people of the same name, each time I change doctor they would go to yet another person of the same name, but I never got the back records, so different years would go to different people, in the end I just gave up chasing them as it was never successful, so I have very little medical records and there is some poor person out there with intact tonsils that is probably trying to explain to their GP why they didn't really have their tonsils removed age 8! Imagine if I had been diagnosed as a dangerous psychopath and they just lost the records!

Wendy

Now you've got them, just take them with you to the docs when you're here. They may make things easier if you have an ongoing condition, or the doc may just want to do his/her own tests - depends on them really.

I have an ongoing condition (under active thyroid), my first doc did every test known to man and the second doc asked for copies of his results

CharleneG

Thanks guys

I have copies of the letters from my consultants too which I am going to take with me and reprint if necessary.
Hopefully they won't want to redo the tests, I have benign intracranial hypertension which is high spinal fluid pressure round my brain (which sounds worse than it is). I had a full MI scan and have had 2 lumbar punctures to releave the pressure and I would not wish one of those on my worst enemy!
My only real noticeable symptom from day to day is a type of tinnitus which can increase in volume as the pressure increases. I take 2 types of tablets every day but if the pressure still gets too high I will have to have another lumbar puncture.
It sounds as though, from what I am now understanding ,that if I don't see the same doctor each time, I will have to explain my condition every time I need a repeat prescription.

Charlene