Bennetts End Surgery
Gatecroft, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP3 9LY
Telephone: 01442 263 511
The surgery is now closed. If you require medical assistance, please contact NHS 111 or, in an emergency, 999.
We hold the Purple Star Award. We are an Armed Forces veteran friendly accredited GP Practice. New patients - please visit our 'Register with the Practice' page and you can be registered online as quickly as within 2 working days. You no longer have to call the surgery at 8am for an appointment. Our patient triage form is open 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Visit the Appointments page to find out more.
Access to Records
All patients aged 16 and over who have access to online services, such as the NHS app, will have automatic full access to their medical records. Access will not be historic, so will only relate to documents, consultations (including coding and free text), and test results added from 11th October 2023 onwards. If you would prefer not to have full access to your medical records, please contact the surgery and let us know.
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their historic medical records, either in part or in full. Such requests may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so. In these instances, you are required to apply for Subject Access Request.
When patients move from one general practice to another, they will lose access to their records at their previous practice. They will usually gain automatic access to new record entries at the new practice but will not be able to see their previous practice’s record any longer. If the patient wants to have access to that data again, they will have to apply through their new practice for access to the records (Subject Access Request), after it has been transferred from the old practice via GP2GP.
Family members and carers can request proxy access. This can be requested in the following instances:
- By parents and/or guardians of patients younger than 16 years old, although children aged 13 to 15 may have access in their own right following a competence assessment by a GP)
- By carers of patients who lack capacity, for example those with dementia or learning disabilities
- By carers, relatives and/or friends of patients who are illiterate
If the patient lacks capacity to give informed consent for proxy access (which will be most of the cases), proxy access may still be given to a relative, carer and/or friend in the following circumstances:
- They must have a power of attorney for health and welfare
- Be a court-appointed deputy
- If the GP determines that it is in the patient’s best interest.
Once a young person turns 16, the previous competence assessment by default is no longer applicable as they are assumed to have capacity unless there is an indication to the contrary.
