Obtaining maternity notes from Kings

[HollieES]

Hi all

Does anyone know how to go about obtaining a copy of your birth notes/maternity records back from Kings?

Thanks

Hollie

[Ruth_Baldock]

Hi Hollie,

I got mine by contacting PALS > http://www.kch.nhs.uk/patients/services/pals/

They emailed me a form, I filled it out and took it in and paid my 25 smackers. I opted to pick mine up rather than have them sent, and this speeded up the process- took about 10 days to get mine and I collected them straight from PALS.

[The Nappy Lady]

Seriously - they charge you ?25 for the honour? Is is a so called 'admin fee'? Makes me furious.

The Brierley give you a copy as standard, it can be such a lovely momento.

[Gussy]

Yep contact PALS. I got mine from a different hospital (UCL) and it cost me ?35. They charge for each piece of paper they have to photocopy. Grrrr.

[hpsaucey]

I wasn't charged but this was 5 years ago so maybe its changed. Think they also took pity on me because was a difficult birth though so maybe that makes a difference?

[hpsaucey]

thinking back was also told they charged if there was a lot to copy only i.e. Because takes up staff time.

[helsbells]

I asked about this at Kings when I was in for an outpatient appt a few months ago as I had a very difficult birth last June and wanted a copy of the notes for future reference. They told me it would be ?50 to get a get a copy which I thought was outrageous so I didn't bother. I'll follow up with PALS though as someone above was told it was ?25 which I would be prepared to pay.

[Gussy]

I think from memory they are not allowed to charge more than a maximum of 50 quid, which I agree helsbells is outrageous.

[marrybatth]

As a professional London Interior Designer, I meet with clients all the time who simply crave more originality and personality in their interior spaces.

[Fuschia]

marrybatth Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> As a professional London Interior Designer, I meet

> with clients all the time who simply crave more

> originality and personality in their interior

> spaces.

Is this some sort of code re *ahem* a bit of damage to the undercarriage post-birth? ! :-)

[Yak]

You have a right to see your maternity notes by making a request under the Data Protection Act. This can be subject to a maximum fee of ?50 (if its entirely an electronic record) but DH guidance clearly states that "any charges for access requests should not be made in order to make a financial gain". I'd be asking fairly searching questions on their justification for charging the max - particularly if other hospitals are charging less for comparable situations.

[snowboarder]

I think you can go and view your notes for free at kings?? It's if you need a copy that you pay? Note to everyone - take copies of your notes yourself while you still have 'em!

[reneet]

Hospitals just have to charge for extra services given that funding has been cut. Its not only staff time but the paper and toner too. Sounds petty, but sum it all up, per patient, and could come to a fair bit. "As someone here ones said it will be a beautiful day when the military has to have a cake sale for a new aircraft and a hospital gets all the equipment they need" or in this case toner and paper.

[Ruth_Baldock]

You might be right, Snowboarder, I remember hearing this somewhere. It is also sometimes possible to get a MW to go over your notes with you.

I got my notes to help me on the road to a successful VBAC and at 25pounds, if the VBAC is successful (+ve thoughts...) will be a small price to pay for it. Not sure I'd feel the same if it was 50 quid though...

[Emily]

my notes were full of lies anyway. Don't put too much store by getting them.

[Gussy]

Hmm, sort of agree Emily, mine weren't entirely as I remember (husband agrees) and contained quite a few upsetting remarks and omissions, but on the whole I'm glad I got them, just to help put the past experience behind me before the birth of my second.

[Emily]

I'm afraid that getting my notes, which were full of outright lies, made me feel worse. It wasn't until I was able to gatecrash a maternity services meeting and talk directly to the head of maternity services, and discovered that contrary to my notes, i was not the only person to complain about my awful, cruel and sadistic Kings midwives and that they had been disciplined and taken off night duties so they could be supervised properly, that I finally felt remotely vindicated and was able to get over the ghastly experience to some extent,and I would recommend this, even though my experience at Kings has given me a real empathy with victims of torture and imprisonment, and, years later, I am still completely claustrophobic.

[bawdy-nan]

I'd agree with the maternity notes thing. When I had my second child I was able to see what they had recorded about my first birth. It was utterly wrong in so many ways and I don't mena in terms of interpretation. For example, they had recorded that I had given birth at Mayday hospital in Croydon when I actually had a very starighhtforward home birth in East Dulwich with Brierley midwives ... certianly a worry if they are making decisons based on your previous medical history and the medical history is innaccurate.