Subject Access Requests (SAR)

PCSE stores NHS GP medical records for people who are no longer registered with a GP, for example patients who move abroad or registered with a private GP.

If you are looking to make a Subject Access Request it must comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and can take up 28 days to process.

Primary Care Support England can only provide a copy of GP health records. Other parts of a patient’s health record may be held by hospitals, community or mental health trusts, as well as previous GP practices. We cannot provide access to these records, and you therefore may wish to apply separately to another health organisation

To access the form, visit the Contact Us page on the website and select Subject Access Request as the category of your enquiry and Subject Access Request as the type of enquiry. Then follow these simple steps:

• Select the capacity in which you’re submitting the request
• Tell us if your request is regarding a deceased person
• Answer No, and you’ll be taken to the Subject Access Request form
• Complete the form and upload the supporting documentation
• Submit your application

Please note, if your application is for the medical records of a living patient, please contact the patient’s registered practice in the first instance.


What happens next?

We will:

1. Process your application and order the medical record from our offsite storage facility
2. An NHS England Health Professional will review the request and medical record in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA)
3. If the Health Professional confirms that the records can be released, a copy of the record will be sent to you electronically by secure email
4. Your request will be complete

You can find out more about access NHS England encrypted emails here.


Consent to email your completed request 

In agreement with NHS England, PCSE is now able to complete your request via secure email. This is also the fastest way to make a request for access to medical records.
 
Please note: by submitting your AHR or SAR request online, you are consenting to receive any communication/records via secure email. For guidance on how to access these emails, please click the tile below.

For more detailed information about making a subject access request, why not take a look at our FAQs using the tile below.