ABSTRACT
Patients and clients increasingly own their healthcare records, particularly in community care, and this should be encouraged as far as it is appropriate and as long as they are happy to do so. Where the health professional feels that particular concerns or anxieties require them to keep supplementary records to which access by the patient, client or family members is limited or withheld, these records are owned by the organisation or owned by the health professional, if that person is self-employed. The Act lays down the maximum period in which a person who has suffered a personal injury may bring a claim; that is, up to three years from the date on which the incident occurred or three years from the date of knowledge that the incident caused the injury. Records to be retained include all health records, x-rays, scans and other records such as diaries, rotas and signature sheets, amongst others.
