L1applicant

Hello,

I've just called up my GP's surgery to ask how I can go about getting my medical records. I need them in order to become a new patient of a PCP here.

However, I'm told they can only transfer them to the EU and not to the US. anyone else encountered this? I'm a bit worried now. She basically told me that I would need to visit the surgery in person to get a copy.

Smartyy

From the above, I assume you would just need to go there and get a copy.

Are we talking vaccinations or your entire medical history?

L1applicant

Yes, it looks like it. It's a flight from Texas to Scotland and back. I wondered how others on here who have made the moved managed to get a hold of their records? I will check exactly what the PCP needs. They were more interested in recent blood work for my arthritis treatment.

MidAtlantic

We collected them from the surgery before we moved.

Pulaski

You are free to carry to the US whatever records you can obtain from your doctor(s), but thanks to the Data Protection Act your doctor(s) in the UK cannot tranfer your records to a country that doesn't have the same data protection laws as EU countries.

L1applicant

Do they just give you a full copy and did you pay a fee?

L1applicant

and I am guessing someone cannot collect them on behalf from the surgery or I could ask for them to be sent to my home address in the UK?

Pulaski

That's hard to say, and perhaps down to the individual doctor's staff and policy. I am not aware of a restriction on mailing medical records to the patient's home address - and anything we say here would be no guarantee that it would apply. I'd just call the surgery and ask .... and don't tell them that you're in the US, just ask if they can mail your records to your home address.

Sheepdip

We collected a printed copy before we left and did pay a nominal fee.

Devakiri

The husband's surgery here in North Wales sent him a cd copy of all his records and charged him £50.00......

L1applicant

Thanks, I'll call again tomorrow. A CD copy would be ideal, I'd be happy to pay the fee but they were pretty adamant that they will not send out with the EU.

I think my best bet IS AS Pulaski's suggests and asked for them to mailed to my UK address and have someone at home fedex/scan them to me.

scottyvisa

My GP emailed me a copy and charged me a nominal fee (£5 I think)

md95065

I am actually quite surprised that you found a PCP who was sufficiently enlightened to want to see your medical records. Obviously having a history of blood work could be useful but most physicians in the US will just send you for every test that they think that your insurance will pay for and start afresh ...

petitefrancaise

L1applicant, are you in Scotland?

If so then when you de-register from your doctor's surgery the records are sent to a central office in Glasgow. They are then kept for 10 years before being destroyed.

Since about 1996 I think all vaccinations have been entered into a database so they will always be available. Your drs surgery should be able to just print out this information with no problems at all.

The paper records though, well my experience was that the central office in Glasgow are extremely reluctant to send these anywhere. In the end I got my son's records sent directly to the hospital specialist that was treating him. They didn't want to send it to me. They sent the records free of charge to France.

Maybe speak to the practice manager at the surgery rather than just one of the receptionists.