The Health Records Team is responsible for the following areas of work:
- To ensure that the requested patient records reach their destination in a timely manner.
- Processing and management of the deceased and inactive patient health records in line with the Records Management Code of Practice 2021.
- Dealing with Subject Access Requests received from patients and other outside agencies requesting copies of health records.
- Ensuing requests are dealt with in line with the current UK Data Protection Legislation.
- Updating the Patient Administration System (PAS) when notified of any changes to patient demographics, registering new patients onto PAS and to assist departments with issues relating to this.
The Health Records Department is located at a facility in Mitchell Way, Portsmouth. This facility houses approximately 850,000 paper records, and receives an average of 20,819 requests for health records every year.
Our health professionals aim to provide you with the highest quality healthcare. To do this they must keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you. This is known as your Healthcare Record. Your information will be stored in paper notes and on computer systems and will include information such as:
- Your name, address, date of birth, next of kin, emergency contacts, ethnicity, disability, language preference, religion.
- Details of you previous clinic appointments, Emergency Department attendance and admissions.
- Notes and reports about your health.
- Details of treatment and procedures you have undergone.
- Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, scans and x-rays.
- Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you and know you well.
You have the right to apply for access to the personal information we hold about you. This includes the right to obtain a copy of your healthcare record in a permanent form and the right to have this information provided to you in a way you can understand. This is called a 'Subject Access Request (SAR)'. This right is granted to data subjects under the current UK Data Protection Legislation.
A request can be made in person to any member of staff, by telephone, email, letter or social media message. Once a request is received we may ask you some questions to help us locate your information. We may also send you a form to complete to assist our searches.
You will also need to send copies of your photo ID and proof of address. Once further information and requested identification has been received, the Trust will endeavour to deal with your request as quickly as possible and in any event within 30 calendar days.
For the general public to make a request for access to your healthcare record, please apply either in writing to:
Subject Access Request Team
Units 2/3
Mitchell Way
Airport Service Road
PortsmouthHampshire
PO3 5PR
(This site is not open to the general public)
Or email pho-tr.
For current or former employees of the Trust who wish to request a copy of their employment records, please email the Information Governance team on information.
If you are not satisfied with the Trust's response to your subject access request you have the right to complain/appeal to the following:
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS): pht.
Information Governance Team: information.
If you are still not satisfied by our response you may ask the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to comment on your request. The ICO can be contacted using the following:
Telephone 0303 123 1113 or via the ICO website using the Data Protection and personal information complaints tool (ICO Complaints Tool).