Here we go again

Hi,

i joined this club in 2009 after having my pacemaker put in and following complications.

I was told that I was not allowed print outs of my pm check ups. Eventually I found a way of getting them by paying to access my medical records. I had to work this out for myself and was initially told I was not allowed them

once I received my results, I posted them on here and started to learn about what they meant. This helped me so much.

A new pm technician then started at my hospital, she was fantastic! She gave me a print out each time and was open to any discussion. She explained all my readings to me and was really nice.

well, I went for my check up yesterday to be told she had left to work elsewhere. The new woman was not nice and refused to allow me a print out. I explained how I had been getting them and that they really helped me. Again, she refused to let me have a print out. I told her I would have to go back to getting them through my medical records by paying. She said I would not be allowed to access them this way anymore.

i feel gutted because it was only by studying my printouts, researching and asking questions, that I was able to suggest setting changes. Most of the setting changes I suggested where discussed with the last pm lady, explained to me and the changes successfully made.

i am now back to square one and am not happy. I thought I would report in to the club.

Ronaldo

7 Comments

ask the doctor directly

by Tracey_E - 2016-07-08 08:46:45

Technicians are often legally limited by what they can do. Ask the doctor or even the office manager for a copy. It's your records and you do have a right to it. That said, do they change much from check to check? I ask for one every few years to keep in my records, the rest of the time I don't bother because they all look the same. When I got my newest one earlier this year, they gave me a home monitor so now I only go in once a year so there are no frequent reports. Most of us level out after the first few months and things don't change much. I don't agree you are back to square one.  You are healthy and feeling good, you have a good understanding of your condition and your pacing. That's a lot, nowhere close to square one. 

TraceyE

by Ronaldo - 2016-07-08 12:21:53

Hi Tracey,

thanks for the reply. Where I am in the uk the doctor is my gp. They would just refer me to the cardiologist. To get an appointment with him can take up to 9 months. They not even agree to an appointment to discuss a trivial matter. I have been through all this before. All I want is a print out. I will now have to go back to paying for access to my medical records. All a lot of extra work and money just because I want a print out. The last lady in the same hospital issued them without any problem.

Of course you can see your results

by LondonAndy - 2016-07-09 04:47:37

How annoying to get a difficult technician again. It is YOUR information, not theirs, so she is wrong to say that you are not allowed to see it.  You may want to print out this NHS article and show it to her:

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/records/healthrecords/Pages/what_to_do.aspx

If the worst comes to the worst and they still refuse, you can submit a "Subject Access Request" under the Data Protection Act, though they can charge to supply the information.  There is a section at the end of that article that covers this.

Good luck!

again...

by Cabg Patch - 2016-07-09 12:12:42

As is the case here in the states, you may have the right to your medical records, but that doesn't mean they have to provide them on demand or free. Here many Dr offices charge for copies of your records. It takes time and costs them $$ to provide those. Additionally, while we tend to want our records immediately, there's not really a time limit on the Dr providing them.

That being said, go back through your old posts here and find the ones that tell how you got access the last time. Repeat the process, well except you could leave out all the failed actions and just go with the one that was finally successful.

Angry Sparrow, Cabg Patch and London Andy

by Ronaldo - 2016-07-10 03:26:52

Thanks for your comment guys.

Yes, you are right. I will have to repeat the process again. I will have to apply through my medical records again and pay. The last tech I had just pressed a button and it printed the results of my check up there land then. Really simple!

The new tech was totally dismissive. She even made the comment that they would mean nothing to me. I said they would. She then started to ask probing questions to see if I had any idea what some of the terms meant. I answered them pretty well.

overall she did everything to put me off having a record. I will just have to get them via my medical records which is a lot of hassle

Webdragon

by Ronaldo - 2016-07-10 12:30:10

If it was as simple as that I would not be posting.

i have been through 4 different techs too.

The one one I liked left. I have only one in the area I live.

My posting was quite simple. Go for a check up, get results, ask questions. Try to find out about your own conditions/ circumstances. Press a button and provide a printout of results.

There are obviously a huge of differences in medical practices across the globe, I understand that!

I am asking for an annual print out of my pm check, which results in a push out of a button on the computer.. The new tech said the records are now stored electronically and not on paper, that is why I can't have a print out. Even easier in my opinion, e mail them directly with a push of a button.

7 years after my implant and after trying to get the results show of my PM check,I am again having to access them by paying through my medical records.

Thank you for your response but I have exhausted the motion of "just switch to someone else" and all will be ok

Same here who do you ask?

by Billr57 - 2016-08-12 18:35:11

I have NEVER been able to see my reports! Have been told by tecks that I'm not a doctor, doctor will not show them to me either!

Bill

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