Medical records

[Alan Ryan]

As a last desperate effort to hopefully find clues on the whereabouts of my granddad (William Ryan 1893-1961. Bradford) in his childhood  & during WW1, I'd like to access his medical records. Where do I start please ?

[summersage]

Hello Alan

I have checked ancestry and have come across the following: all living bradford

1901 census   image not on screen
Thomas Ryan   40
Harriet 42
Elizabeth 14
William 10
Ella 3


1901 Census 93 Park Road  Childrens Home Bradford
John J Ryan 12 born Oakworth
William Ryan 9 born Bradford     

1901 Census 79 Granby Street Bradford

Robert Ryan 32 House Painter
Mary 29
William 6 at school born Bradford

Hope this helps

Summersage

[Alan Ryan]

Thanks Summersage, but my granddad was actually abandoned and ended up in Hemsworth sometime before 1901, he was still there in 1911 and again in 1916 when he got married, just 4 dates to show for 23 years. He moved back to Bradford to get away from the coal mines after the birth of my dad and and 2 uncles. I've tried everywhere (inc Kew) to find records of absolutely everything else without success, which has now left me considering the possibility of his medical records which hopefully would include military service. I wrote to the "patients association" for advice but after 2 weeks they wrote back without answering my question. So that's the situation at the moment, hence the request for info on accessing GP's medical records. Alan

[stanmapstone]

To access the records of someone who has died you need to apply under the Access to Medical Records Act, 1990. You will only be able to access the records if:

    * you are the next of kin or legal executor
    * you have the permission of the next of kin
    * you have written permission from the deceased person given before they died
You will need to state which records you want to access and if you are taking or intend to take legal action. The same charges apply as under the Data Protection Act.
http://www.patients-association.com/FAQ-Category/8

Stan

[Alan Ryan]

Thanks Stan, as the eldest son of my granddad's eldest son I'm not sure if I out rank my dad's brothers but the main question is; who do I actually contact for applying for access to the medical records ? and would they still be held by the NHS or the (Wakefield) National Archives or somewhere else ? Thanks also to Summersage but I already had the 1911 information, there was also a British Legion Social Club on Bush St that my granddad was the steward of for several years after he left the pit and after he was married he lived about 100 yds away on King Edward St. If you could find something on his military service, that would be a bonus but it looks like the records were among those that were lost in the blitz. He was in the Army Veterinary Corps but NOT pte. SE/11669. Alan

[Scarletwoman]

Alan

I work with medical records, and to the best of my knowledge the records of deceased patients are not kept in the long term.  There is some leeway nationally about the length of time they are retained, but in my area it is six years after the death of an adult, and twenty-five years in the case of a minor.  Before 1948 and the start of the NHS, the patient records of general practitioners were their own property, and very few found their way into the new records post-1948, so even where other records survive, early records are unlikely to be included.  As far as hospital records go, there are many surviving, particularly admission and discharge registers, and the location and scope of such records can be traced via the Hospital Records Database.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/?WT.lp=sa-33620

But after so many years, I think the assumption must be that your grandfather's local medical records (GP record) would have been destroyed many years ago.   Computerised records will change the way that information is held in the future of course.

Sue

[Alan Ryan]

Thanks a lot Sue, I'll have a look at the National Archives site but I'd better not hold my breath. I have read somewhere in the past week though, that military medical records were supposedly retained but It wasn't clear if the records were attached to the GP records or not. If they wern't then I suspect they may have gone up  in smoke at the same time as the service records. 

[Quigs]

Hello Alan

I have checked ancestry and have come across the following: all living bradford

1901 census   image not on screen
Thomas Ryan   40
Harriet 42
Elizabeth 14
William 10
Ella 3


1901 Census 93 Park Road  Childrens Home Bradford
John J Ryan 12 born Oakworth
William Ryan 9 born Bradford     

1901 Census 79 Granby Street Bradford

Robert Ryan 32 House Painter
Mary 29
William 6 at school born Bradford

Hope this helps

Summersage

Robert Ryan and Mary (maiden name O'Brien) are my gr grandparents and William aged 6 is my grandfather.  They were married at St Anne's Church in 1891.  Witnesses were Thomas Lawler and Catherine Lawler.  Their father's were William Ryan and John O'Brien (deceased).
regards
Quigs

[Alan Ryan]

Thanks Quigs, obviously not the same granddad but my granddad William's father was called Patrick and his father was also called William. Just a very long shot but did your Robert have a brother (or cousin) called Patrick ?