Reading your Maternity Notes
Can I read my maternity notes?
Yes! Under the Access to Health Records Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 1998 you have the right to a copy of your records (so long as they were made after 1991). This copy will be yours to keep. You are also entitled to a copy of your baby’s medical notes and it is advisable to request all relevant attached documents too - this will include letters, test results and computerised records.
What benefits are there to me reading my notes?
Reading through your notes can help you to gain a sense of ‘time order’. Events during labour, and immediately after, can take place very quickly and you may be left feeling uncertain as to how things happened and when. Your notes might help you to put things ‘in order’ in your mind.
It can help you to fill in any gaps - a traumatic birth may leave the parents with grey areas where they cannot remember the whole event. Once the gaps are filled it may be easier to start moving on.
You may wish to complain about the care you received during your baby’s birth. If this is the case do all you can to read through your notes and understand them before making the complaint so that you are as well informed as possible.
Reading through your notes may give you the opportunity to ask questions about what happened. Your midwife, Health visitor or GP can help you or you can contact us for further information.
If you are considering another baby, or already pregnant, reading through the events of your last birth can help you to write a comprehensive and informed birth plan - you can state what you found helpful and distressing and measures can be taken to avoid a repeat.
What can I expect when I read my notes?
Reading through your notes can be very emotional and may be upsetting. You are likely to find yourself re-living certain feelings that may distress you. With this in mind, we recommend that you read through your notes with a partner, close friend or relative and if at all possible, someone who can help you to understand the medical terminology and abbreviations.
How do I apply for a copy of my notes?
You need to write to the medical records department of the hospital where your baby was born. (In the case of a home birth then the hospital where your midwives are based)
You will usually be asked for proof of identification and a nominal fee (used for administration costs) this is usually around £40.
The hospital will reply to your letter within 40 days of you sending it - if you send the letter via recorded delivery you will have proof of postage and a record of the date the letter was sent.
There is a letter that you can download that you may use either as a guide or you can print it and just add your name and address. (It is on page 3 of the pdf file.)
If you encounter any problems accessing your records please contact us for further information and help.
You may be asked to complete a form specifying why you wish to view your records. You do not have to give an answer to this question unless you wish to.
If you are invited into the hospital to view your notes, rather than be sent a copy, you are entitled to decline this invitation as it is preferable to read your notes at home, in your own time in order to digest the information at your leisure. It can also be distressing to return to the hospital where your baby is born.
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