Most GP health records now held on the practice's computer system. Your GP practice will hold your records as long as you're registered with them.
NHS NSS Practitioner services stores GP health records for patients that are not currently registered with a GP practice or who have died. There are regulations that require records to be held for a minimum amount of time before being destroyed.
In Scotland, the transfer of your GP health records is managed by Practitioner Services who work on behalf of your NHS Board. GP practices return the records to Practitioner Services for patients who are no longer registered with them. If you have changed your GP practice, Practitioner Services will send these records on to your new GP.
How are my previous records traced when I change GP practice?
Your new GP practice will ask for information about your identity, your previous address and previous GP practice when you register. It is important to provide this information accurately so that your records can be traced. Your GP practice will supply this information to Practitioner Services so that they can provide them with your previous records.
If you were previously registered with a GP in Scotland
Practitioner Services will find an entry for you on the Community Health Index (CHI) national database. When they update your CHI information, a request is sent to your old GP practice which asks them to send your records to us. We will then send them to your new GP practice.
If you have previously lived elsewhere in the United Kingdom
Practitioner Services work with other organisations to request your records. We send the identity data you provided to NHS Central Register Scotland. NHS Central Register can trace where you were previously registered. They make sure the appropriate authorities in England, Wales or Northern Ireland know you are now in Scotland and that your GP records should be sent to Practitioner Services.
How are my records sent?
Your records are held on the GP practice computer system, Practitioner Services will transfer them electronically to your new GP practice, if you have moved within Scotland. These are moved automatically to your new GP practice through a secure electronic route.
If you are moving outwith Scotland Practitioner Services will forward your records to your new practice. Please inform the practice if you are moving outwith Scotland.
Understanding access and timing for moving your records
Your new GP practice can accept your records onto their computer system, they will be transferred through a secure electronic route. The records are encrypted on dispatch from your old GP practice. No one will have access to them.
All our staff involved in the transfer of health records are subject to the strict legal regulations covering the disclosure and confidentiality of patient information.
How long will my records take to move?
Electronic records are accepted onto your new GP practice computer system, they will normally be transferred within a few days of your old practice agreeing to release them.
If your GP practice requires your previous records as a clinical priority, they can make an urgent request for them. These requests are treated as a priority and in most cases the records are transferred within two days.
Practitioner Services uses the Community Health Index to keep track of those records that have been received and those that are still outstanding. If your records have not been received within six weeks we will issue additional requests to Practitioner Services.
Further information about transferring your health records
Practitioner Services will not routinely trace health records from, or forward records to, health care providers in countries outwith the United Kingdom.
If you are returning to the United Kingdom, or your last registration with a GP practice was cancelled your records may be held in storage. If they are we will trace these through our records or NHS Central Register Scotland when you next register with a GP practice.
If we have been advised that you have been in HM Forces, your civilian records will have been kept in storage during your period of service. If you came under the care of a Service Medical Officer, your record would have been transferred on posting. These will be traced through the Community Health Index or NHS Central Register Scotland when you next register with a GP practice.
There are regulations that require records to be held for a minimum amount of time before being destroyed.
Community Health Index
Practitioner Services uses the NHS Scotland national patient database to keep a note of the GP practice that a patient is registered at. Other non-clinical information is also stored, eg patient name, date of birth, address and GP details.
The database is called the Community Health Index (or CHI). The unique index number generated for each patient is called the CHI number and this number is used throughout NHS Scotland to accurately identify patients.
The information is used to manage the transfer of medical records, make payments to GP practices for medical services provided to patients, and to issue medical exemption certificates and prescription pre-payment certificates.
NHS Central Register Scotland
NHS Central Register is part of National Records of Scotland. This organisation provides a range of services to the NHS. These include issuing NHS numbers and keeping a record of the NHS Board area that a patient lives in. It communicates with similar organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland when patients move between countries in the United Kingdom. For further information visit the NHS Central Register website.
Retention Periods
If you are no longer registered with a GP practice, Practitioner Services stores your GP health records. The length of time we keep the records depends on the reason the records are being stored. These are set by our minimum retention periods and are shown below. When the retention period has passed, the records are destroyed.
If you are going to live abroad and require a copy of your records, you can apply to your GP practice for this prior to embarking. If we hold your records you can apply by contacting one of our Regional Offices. This service may incur a charge.
| Reason for storing | Retention Period |
|---|
| Embarked (Patients no longer resident in the United Kingdom) | 6 years or until the patient reaches 25 years of age |
| Untraced (Registration with GP cancelled) | 6 years or until the patient reaches 25 years of age |
| Removed at GP or Patient Request | Retain for lifetime of patient or 3 years after death |
| Serving in HM Forces | Retain for lifetime of patient or 3 years after death |
| Prisoners | Retain for lifetime of patient or 3 years after death |
| Deceased | 3 years after death |