Right to see children's medical records.

Grandparents often ask questions on behalf of their daughter/sons, one is regarding health information. Hope this helps.

Do Parents Have the Right to See Their Children’s Medical Records?

If you child is under the age of sixteen then you may be able to see your child's medical records. Firstly, you must have Parental Responsibility for your child. If so, you can apply to a health professional for information and they must provide it. If you wish to see a GP or other medical practitioner, they are obligated to see you and to discuss matters relating to your child's health. If you contact the medical practice and are having difficulty with access, then it is best to put your request in writing.

Do You Have Parental Responsibility?

If you are the birth mother of your child, then you naturally have Parental Responsibility. If you are a father, however, you may not have Parental Responsibility. You may have it if you were married to the mother of the child at the time of the birth or through one of the following:

•                The mother has agreed that you have Parental Responsibility;

•                You have been granted a Parental Responsibility Order by the Courts; or

•                You jointly registered the birth of your child with the mother (after 01 December 2003).

Can You Be Refused Information?

The answer is yes. If it is considered in their best interests to share information with you and if the child is considered too young to understand your application, then the health professional will usually share information. They can only pass information on to you if they have your child's consent.

If, therefore, you child is a teenager and they have asked the doctor something that they wish to be treated in confidence, then you will not be informed upon request. There are teenagers who wish to talk to their doctors about matters concerning them such as birth control, without their parents knowing.

They may also refuse information if they believe that their patient will suffer serious harm to their physical or mental well being or to any other individual. Other scenarios may include where your child's information contains further information about another individual and upon revealing your child's information, the other individual's right to confidentiality could be trespassed.

How Should You Approach a Health Professional for Information?

If you try to contact you GP or any other health professional and are unsuccessful, then the best way to make a formal request is to put it in writing. If you include a copy of your Parental Responsibility Order or marriage certificate, or your child's birth certificate with your name on it (after 01 December 2003 if you are named as the father), then this might speed up the process. If you do not include this, then you may be asked to provide it at a later date.

What Can You Do If Your Request Is Refused?

As detailed above, there may actually be a really good reason as to why your request for information has been refused, though perhaps, as a concerned parent or guardian, you may not agree. If you are really concerned, you should ask the professional how you can make a complaint.

The first person to complain to is the General Practice Manager. If this does not work, then you may wish to apply to the Information Commissioner or to the Local Area Health Authority, if you wish to access records, which have been refused.

What About If You Do Not Know Who Your Child's Doctor Is?

If you are unable to find out who your child's doctor is, for example, their other parent has not told you, then you can contact the Primary Care Trust or your Local Area Health Authority (the Local Authority in which your child resides) to ask for the details.

You must make a request in writing, again making sure that you include proof of your Parental Responsibility.

In summary, it is understandable that as a worried parent, you want to know all about your child's life. For younger children, it is important for you to be highly involved in their health. It is important, however, to remember that a health professional has an overall duty to do what is in the best interests of their patient and sometimes that means keeping their information confidential.