I was wondering if anyone could advise me? Over the last couple of years I've been trying to obtain my late Grandfathers army medical records to see if they held any details on his experience as a POW and on the death march in 1945. Sadly the records office in Scotland have written back and said that the medical records are private even to family members. I was wondering if it was worth trying to get hold of the war pensions agency or the veterans agency, as my Grandfather had a war pension. I don't know if they would still have any records of his and if they do what type of information it would tell me ? Im very grateful if anyone had any suggestions on trying to obtain more information Kind regards Alex
Have you tried making a freedom of information request? Might still knock you back but it's worth a try. How to make a freedom of information (FOI) request - GOV.UK
Ive wrote to the records office three times, were the medical records are held, and all times they have refused to give them to me. I find it very unfair as I know of some people that have obtained their relatives service records and medical records. I think anything at this point is worth a try. Thank for the advise.
I have recently been chasing up the medical records for my Great Uncle from his time in hospital in 1917, and they will be releasing them to me in June this year, 100 years after the event, which I understand is the norm. TD
As far as I know, the medical documents are only released if the application is from the serviceman himself. They are required to do this under the data protection act I believe. I can understand some reluctance. Imagine if a surviving partner were to discover that the old man had been treated three times for syphilis whilst in the Middle East...
I was fortunate enough to have a post card he wrote to my Grandfather from the hospital he was in, so I traced the hospital (Perth, Scotland) to what it is today and went through to their archives section and asked them. They were able to confirm that he had been a patient but they could not release any details until the 100 years was up, which is what they normally say covers 'data protection' - they would not budge on this even after I offered sending them a death cert. TD
I cannot understand how these people seek to hide behind the Data Protection Act. You should remind them that the act only applies to identifiable living people. If you can provide a copy of the death certificate I would argue that the act cannot apply.
Tried that but they still hide behind the 100 year rule - after all you could provide them with a death cert for someone of the same name when the object person is still alive - bizarre but possible TD
TD Surprisingly the combination of a persons full name and their date and place of birth provides a fairly unique reference. I've been doing a bit more digging and it is not the Data Protection Act that they're hiding behind but the Access to Medical Records Act.
Below is the initial response to my enquiry, the 100 year rule may only apply to this Health Trust or region, but I somehow do not think that is the case: Thank you for your enquiry. According to the Annual Reports for Perth County and City Royal Infirmary for this time (THB 32/3/9-10) the hospital was engaged in treating soldiers from 1915 until the end of the War. The bulk of these were members of the BEF wounded overseas, but a number injured in local camps were also treated. By 1918 a total of 1041 soldiers had been treated at PRI. The annual reports also mention that the old County and City Infirmary buildings (which the hospital had left in 1914) were being used as a Red Cross/VAD hospital during the War (these buildings were sold shortly after the War and are now home to the A. K. Belll Library). There is also mention of the VAD transferring wounded soldiers from Perth Station to PRI. Unfortunately patients' clinical records are closed for a period of 100 years by NHS Tayside (who retain ownership of the records). I can tell you the admission registers do record admissions of soldiers (often in groups), but do not go into that much detail about them. One piece of general information that they were able to access and send to me was confirmation we had the right man: I have had a look at a the admission records and can give you the following non-clinical information. Pte N. H. Woodfield of 1/6 Royal Warwickshire Regiment, usual address 419 Foleshill Road, Coventry, was one of a batch of soldiers admitted to PRI on 30th June 1917. From re- reading the above I wonder if there is a difference between 'medical' and 'clinical' records? TD edited to add: This is getting technical - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...-records-transferred-to-places-of-deposit.pdf
