What's in Your Medical Notes?

If you or your family members have health conditions, you'll notice when you go to see the professionals they will more often than not ask you questions which should definitely be in your notes. As we get older or our contact becomes more frequent, our files get larger. Add to this that there isn't a central system the health care professionals all share, along with the fact that each professional must interpret your musings on the day, which could be variable, and you have a breeding ground for inaccuracy and error.

It's unrealistic to expect the professional health care person in the middle of a busy morning to sift through your medical history to find the information to treat the person sitting in front of them in the 10 minutes they have allotted for your appointment. So how accurate are our medical records, and is there anything we can do to support the person sitting in the professional's chair?

Having represented a number of family members over the years, I could write much about records lost, medication changes not made, and letters requiring urgent action being put on file, not just my own experience but those of many of the people I encounter in the same situation. I'm not going to; instead, I'd like to urge you to ask for a copy of your records and check them against your own notes and memory of events.

This is particularly important if you are looking to take out private healthcare or if you are applying for government support such as PIP. What's in your notes is regarded as reliable, and that reliability is questionable.

This is something you can take charge of yourself by asking for a copy of your records from your GP, and if you find any anomalies, you can write to the practice manager and any other relevant professionals and ask for your records to be changed. Keep a copy to show anyone who might wish to see it, such as the DWP or an insurance company, and keep a copy in your home file too.

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What's in Your Medical Notes? - created 12th March 2026