Q&A – Transfer of GP records and 3rd party redaction

Question

I am looking for general guidance regarding 3rd party redaction when GP records are transferred to another practice, particularly in a child protection context. Many thanks.

Answer

When dealing with child protection the important principle is to keep communications open and transparent.  When one patient moves from one practice to the next generally there is no need to perform any redaction.   

If records are shared with another practice in some other context redaction maybe required, in that instance it maybe necessary to seek specific guidance about that case and context.  

The BMA has some useful guidance which applies to redacting records which has been recently updated to reflect the impact of DPA 2018 and GDPR.  This is available from:  https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/confidentiality-and-health-records/access-to-health-records