Accessing your GP health record

You have a right to see or get a copy of your health records.

To see your records, you will need to contact us. You do not need to give a reason for wanting to see your health records.

In your request, you can specify that you:

  • ​want to just see your records or also have a copy 
  • want all or just part of your records
  • want the records in a specific format.

You can also contact the surgery for help if:

  • information is missing or has disappeared from your record
  • there’s incorrect information in your record
  • you can see information that should not be there (for example, you can see information that’s not yours)
  • you want to request that something is removed from your record.

What’s in your GP health record

Health records contain information about your health and any care or treatment you’ve received.

Your health records may contain:

  • test and scan results
  • X-rays
  • doctors’ notes
  • letters to and from NHS staff.

It’s important that your records are kept up to date. You should tell us when your personal information changes or if you are going to be out of the UK for a long time.

Emergency care summary

Most patients in Scotland have an Emergency Care Summary containing basic information about your health in case of an emergency. This is usually a list of your current medication and allergies.

NHS staff can also use your Emergency Care Summary if your GP refers you to an outpatient clinic or for admission to hospital to check your details.

Before any member of staff looks at your Emergency Care Summary, they must get your consent.

Key information summary (‘eKIS’)

Patients with particular needs or living with long-term conditions may also have a key information summary containing information that NHS staff should know.

The key information summary might contain:

  • an emergency contact
  • information about a patient’s condition
  • information about a patient’s place of care preferences
  • what treatment the patient is having.

If you need a key information summary, your GP will discuss with you what information should be included.

Your GP health record does not include information kept by other services that has not been sent to the surgery. This includes services like hospitals, dentists and opticians. To access this information, you will need to contact the service directly.

You can find out more information about your health records on the NHS inform website.

Related information

Accessing someone else’s information