Retention of Records Policy - Library

Type of Health Record Minimum Retention Period Derivation Final action Codeas per the retention period for the records of children andyoung people; mentally disordered persons (within themeaning of the Mental Health Act 1983) 20 years after thelast entry in the record or 8 years after the patient’s deathif patient died while in the care of the organisationconditionsPost mortem records (seePathology records)Post mortem registers(where they exist in paperformat)30 years Likely to havearchival value.See note 1Prison healthcare records(see GP records)Private patients admin forms See overseas visitors, private patients paperworkPrivate patient recordsadmitted under section 58 ofthe National Health ServiceAct 1977 or section 5 of theNational Health Service Act1946Although technically exempt from the PublicRecords Acts, it would be appropriate forauthorities to treat such records as if theywere not so exempt and retain for periodappropriate to the specialtyDestroy underconfidentialconditionsPsychology records 30 years See note 1 NNNRecords/documents relatedto any litigationRecords of destruction ofindividual health records(case notes) and otherhealth related recordscontained in thisretention schedule (inmanual or computer format)Research records1. Other than clinicalAs advised by the organisation’s legal advisor. All recordsto be reviewed. Normal review 10 years after the file isclosedSee note 1CPermanently BS ISO 15489 (section 9.10) See note 1 N30 years Data Protection Act (section33 and schedule 8 part IV)See note 1N.Page 28 of 57