Southmead Surgery
Coming soon! Exciting information on Social Prescribing in your area….

Your medical records

Your health record is key to ensuring continuity of care when you see different clinicians in the practice and also supporting the best decisions about your care but with this comes important responsibilities for clinicians and options and rights for you. These are all covered in this section.

Online access to your medical records

Log in

If you already have online access, you can
Log in to:

How to obtain access to your health record

Online access can offer many advantages. Those advantages and how you can obtain access is explained under online access to your records.

Our automated digital assistant can help with online access to your GP health record

Our chatbot is an easy way to access a range of help and guidance to get set up online and best utilise your online services.
Launch digital help:

Your options with your health record

Your health care data can be used outside the practice in different ways to support you and all the NHS. However, you have options to opt out. Sometimes you may want to give other people access to your data (proxy access). All these options are explained below.

Your Summary Care Record is an electronic record of important patient information, created from GP medical records. They can be seen and used by authorised staff in other areas of the NHS such as in Accident & Emergency departments.

Opt out form

If you wish to opt out you can
Download and complete the form:

OR
Complete and submit the online form:

Information to help you make your decision

This is all explained further, including more on opting out, see under

The NHS uses information about patients (patient data) to research, plan and improve:

  • the services offered
  • the treatment and care patients receive

This data comes from your GP surgery, hospitals and other healthcare providers. You can choose whether or not your data is used for research and planning. There are different types of data-sharing you can opt out of. This is explained in more detail under our practice policy on

Your two types of data-sharing you can opt out of are:

Stop your GP surgery from sharing your data

Download and complete the form:

OR
Complete and submit the online form:

Stop NHS Digital and other health and care organisations from sharing your data for research and planning

If you have made your decision, you can complete the form online.
Log in to:

Information on proxy access

There is information on proxy access in the practice (allowing another person to access your notes) under

Form to obtain proxy access

You can obtain proxy access to your medical record by completing the form found under

Though many people now have access to much of their notes online (online access to your records), you have a right to access your notes in full. This is called a subject access request. You can also correct any error in your notes. This is explained further under

Subject Access Request Form

If you would like to make a subject access request, you can
Download and complete the form:

Required ID
In addition to the form, we will require ID. One form of photo personal ID (e.g., passport or driver’s licence) and one proof of current home address (e.g., Utility bill, bank statement etc.)

Organ donation - recording your choice

Organ donation saves many lives. It is now assumed that everyone in the UK is a potential organ donor on their death, but you can opt out if you wish. It is still recommended you make your choice clear, particularly to your family, even if you are happy with organ donation. Why and how to do this is explained below.

Log in

If you have made your decision, you can
Log in to:

Follow the guidance Organ donation – NHS account help and support – NHS

OR
You can visit the NHS organ donation website and
Complete and submit the online form:

Information to help you make your decision

It is assumed now that everyone in the UK is a potential organ donor on their death, but you can opt out if you wish. It is still recommended you make your choice clear even if you are happy with organ donation as is explained. See under

Confidentiality and your health record

Ultimately your health record is your data, giving responsibility to GP practices to maintain confidentiality. Confidentiality applies to both the written record but also to verbal sharing of your record, see under our

Understanding confidentiality can give teenagers confidence with their interactions with health care professionals, see under

Understand your medical records - including abbreviations

Medical records explained

Understand your medical record, see under

In this section there is further information on

  • What you will find in your medical record
  • Common abbreviations used in your medical notes
  • Understanding your medication and investigations better.

Support using a computer and the internet

There is local support to help with learning how to use a computer and the internet found under

Skip to content