how long are medical records kept?

Answer 1

Forever. If you move from place to place they go to a central registry until you find a new doctor and he will then 'request' them. They will follow you wherever you go.
You have an NHS number and that relates to your medical file and any treatment you may have or need. It will all be recorded in your file for the next doctor to see any illnesses you may have had which may affect any medication he wants to give you.

Answer 2

I read an article the other day (the guardian I think) that said that medical records are to be stored on the new ID card database. This means that the police and security services will have direct access to every medical record in the UK. Previously this access was controlled by your own GP but under the new system they will be able to see anything they want.

Anyone else find this majorly scary??

Answer 3

I believe in California it's seven years after the last date of service, or (if the patient is a minor) seven years after the patient turns 18.

In Oregon, it seems to be a little different--one hospital didn't keep medical records for (gulp) 38 years; the other hospital said they never threw anything away, but later it was discovered that they had misfiled about 3/4 of the file I had requested. (I received 9 pages, which I forwarded to my doctor upon his request. I asked for a second copy; this request was returned with the note "No such patient/record." After some back-and-forth, I mailed them an extensive lesson in terminal digit filing. A couple weeks later, they mailed me 35 pages.)

Answer 4

Medical records are usually kept 20 years in the UK.

Answer 5

When I worked in the NHS they still had my grandfather's records and he had died over 10 years before. They are kept on computer for about 20 years and then microfiched and retained indefinately.

Answer 6

years and years and years.

Answer 7

for the rest of your life.
medical records are needed until the day you die

Answer 8

forever