Letter to Request Medical Records

What is a letter template to request medical records?

A sample letter to request medical records is a standard document used by individuals across the UK to request medical records from doctors, GPs, NHS hospitals, and public and private healthcare providers. This document can be used to request various types of medical information, including reports, laboratory tests, treatment records, etc.

The present template letter to request medical records UK aligns with the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and Children Act 1989 when requesting medical information on behalf of minors.

When shall I use this sample letter to request medical records?

Individuals may need to access their private medical records and healthcare information at any time. The most common cases include the following:

• Continuing medical care. Individuals across the UK may need to urgently access their private medical records due to a change of a current healthcare provider or making ordinary health check-ups.
• Employment matters. Before signing an employment contract, prospective employers may request a person to provide a detailed summary of their previous illnesses or health issues. For example, this is common when being employed as a teacher, driver, pilot, etc.
• Insurance claims. Once a person suffers an injury, they may want to receive further compensation from their current insurance provider. As a general rule, an insurance company may usually request all information about the injury that occurred and a patient’s medical condition.
• Personal record keeping. Some individuals choose to record all information related to their health. Therefore, this letter template to request medical records is a useful tool to collect all the necessary information well in advance.

Who can send this request for medical records?

This sample letter to hospital requesting medical records can be sent by a:

• an individual who is at least 18 years old;
• an individual’s legal representative by virtue of power of attorney;
• a child’s biological or adopted mother or father;
• a child’s legal guardian holding a Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangement Order;
• any other child’s representative with a parental responsibility over a child.

The request can only be sent to the hospital or healthcare provider where the patient is currently registered or was registered as a patient in the past.

What are the benefits of using this letter template to request medical records?

By customising this template with FasterDraft, you get the document with the following benefits:

• a template with a professional layout;
• a document created by qualified UK solicitors;
• a template that can be used to request medical records from private and public hospitals across the UK;
• a document that saves drafting time;
• a document that can be re-used for multiple occasions;
• a template that is suitable for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland;
• a template suitable for various types of medical information, including dental, mental, surgical, etc.

How to write a request letter for medical records?

To create a professional and well-drafted letter template to request medical records, apply important tips from the list below:

Know the Recipient

It is important to clarify the final recipient of your request. This not only prevents unnecessary delays but also ensures that the right person will handle your request.​

If the request is being sent to a private or public hospital with various departments, it is better to specify in the text of the letter the name of the department who shall consider this request first. If there is a particular doctor in charge of your medical or healthcare records, in such a case it is better to address this letter to him or her.

Leave Contact Details

It is important to include the sender’s contact information, such as telephone number or email address. In the course of preparation of your medical records and files, the healthcare provider may need to ask additional information or verify certain details. To facilitate that process, provision of up-to-date contact information is important.

The sender should always specify how they wish to receive medical records or information. For example, information can be provided by post or in email, or the sender may want to collect it in person.

Supporting Documentation

Upon the receipt of this request, healthcare providers, NHS hospitals or GPs should be able to verify the sender’s identity. Therefore, we highly recommend attaching a copy of the sender’s ID document, including a passport or driving licence, to facilitate the verification process.

If this letter to the doctor requesting medical records is sent by a parent or legal guardian, then the document confirming relations between the sender and the child should also be attached.

How to customise this template with FasterDraft?

To get a fully customisable template letter to request medical records UK, follow a few simple steps below:

1. Click the “Create Document” button.
2. Answer simple questions in the form.
3. Select a suitable template’s format – a sample letter to request medical records from doctors PDF or Word.
4. E-sign the document online for free.
5. Make a payment.

The document is ready for instant download and usage right after the purchase.