GP Records Folder

The GP Records Folder Service Card can be accessed by navigating to the ‘NHS Hub’ Section of the account homepage.

The Service Card has an Options Menu that allows you to access various parts of your GP Records.

If you are registered with the NHS in England, the folder will give read access to your health records that are held by the NHS. This includes the following categories of records:

Information that is kept by other service providers such as hospitals, dentists and opticians; and which has not been shared with your GP, is not available for viewing. If you would like to obtain this information, then you’ll need to contact these service providers directly.

Access depends on the method that you used when you registered a NowPatient account. If you used your NHS Login credentials to create an account, then the GP Records Folder Service Card will be fully active.

If you have used your email address to create an account with NowPatient then you will be required to link your NowPatient account with your NHS account using something called NHS linkage Codes.

Linkage codes (also known as linkage keys) are 3 codes that the NHS uses to protect your GP medical record and keep it secure for you.

When you have obtained the keys, you should navigate to the account homepage and locate the GP Records Folder Service Card. The Service Card is locked by default. Select the ‘Connect’ button and this will present you with a screen where you can enter the 3 codes which will then unlock the service.

The GP Records Service Card has an Options Menu which allows you to select the following record types:

After selecting the desired record type, you’ll be directed to a viewing page displaying all related records. Each record appears as a card containing detailed information about that entry.

The viewer also shows the total number of records for the selected type. You can apply additional filters to help locate specific records of interest.

To get your linkage keys follow the three simple steps:

The simplest way to get these codes is by email. Below, we’ve included a template email you can use to request yours.

download template here

Once you have requested your linkage keys, your GP surgery will send you a letter or an email, with your codes. You should now have the following 3 codes:

You can now enter the 3 codes into the GP Records Folder tool, which will activate access.

This service is commissioned by NHS England and is only available to patients in England. You will not be able to use the feature if you live in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

No. The GP Records Folder is a free service available for registered users of NowPatient.

No. The records are only viewable by you and will not be shared without your consent.

Records are stored securely, in a way that follows the NHS privacy notice. In addition, your account is protected by 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) so you can rest assured only you will have access to your data and records.

You should email or call your surgery, or speak to a receptionist at the surgery if:

Yes. You can request a paper copy of your medical records, also called a health record, by asking your GP practice. This will usually be through a subject access request.

Yes. You can access your records by using your NHS login or NowPatient login credentials.

Yes. Your practice may not have switched on full access to your records yet. All practices in England should have switched on access to their patients’ future medical records as of 31st October 2023. If your records are still not showing, you should contact your GP practice.

The expectation is that information will be made visible to you. Very occasionally, you may not be able to see some information in your medical records. This would only be for specific reasons such as confidential information about someone else that cannot be shared, or if the information could cause you or someone else serious harm. You can ask your GP to hide any information from appearing in your records.

You have a right to see your medical records. A GP should only prevent access if there is a good reason, usually if there is a concern that access to your records could cause harm, or because you asked not to see your records.

You can always speak to the practice manager or your GP if you want to discuss whether you should have access. If you disagree with the decision the GP has made, you can complain through the practice’s complaints procedure.

If you do not have access to the GP Records Folder through NowPatient, it might be that your GP hasn’t yet switched on access to your health records. If this is the case, it would be worth asking the practice to give you access.

When you view your record online, you may only see information that was added recently. If you need to see older information, you’ll have to ask your GP surgery to make it visible.

You will be able to see any information that is saved in the medical records your GP holds about you. This will include most test results from hospitals that have been sent to and reviewed by your GP. In some areas of England, you can already access hospital records directly; NHS England does not yet have a timetable of when this will be available everywhere.

It is not possible for you to correct information held on your records. You would need to speak to your GP about any errors you have noticed in your record. If the information is wrong, the GP can add the correct information to your record, but the original error will remain. This is because medical records are a legal document and information cannot always be removed. In some cases, if there is a disagreement, they may note your point of view on the record while leaving the original notes.