Hospital birth records, can we see them?

**moochymoo** · 17-03-2008 22:12

Just a question that i have been wondering about since the traumatic delivery of my DD 8 months ago and after reading some of the threads on here - are we allowed to read our history that is taken during the labour and the birth? Not a history that is re written for a referral, but the actual documents that they write in as you are labouring.
Quite a few things went wrong during my labour and birth, not through any fault of the hospital staff, just a scary birth! But i would love to be able to read through from when i was admitted, till when i was discharged.

**moonblossom** · 17-03-2008 22:16

Yes grace, they are your records and they have no right to keep them from you. I have obtained mine, and it was quite an eye opener.

Just go to your hospital and request them...a fee is involved but its not much, and they will send them to you

Good luck

**reAllytee** · 17-03-2008 22:19

Yep ring your hospy & ask for the Freedon Of Information Officer.

They will then tell you whether they need forms etc filled out as well as whether they charge. Every hospy is different im afraid ! This is for receiving your copy to keep.

You do also have the right to go in & view them for free but be careful with that as its common that they say a doctor needs to be with you & then they charge for the doctors time

Very very annoying !

Some are able to request theirs through their g.p but mine could only get the basic report like you get on discharge !

Good luck i hope you get some answers to help you heal

**reAllytee** · 17-03-2008 22:23

Originally Posted by moonblossom

Just go to your hospital and request them...a fee is involved but its not much, and they will send them to you

That depends on the hospital sadly !

For me i was going to have to pay $60 straight off the bat & then if it went over something like 5 pages they charged $1 for every page thereafter.

They also wanted me to pay an extra $60 because Boof was classed as an extra patient so his records couldnt be released at the same time .... I was furious !

Luckily for me i didnt actually go ahead with it because i later found out that my records arent even filled out properly

**BeautifulBoys** · 18-03-2008 07:05

Originally Posted by stonegrace

Just a question that i have been wondering about since the traumatic delivery of my DD 8 months ago and after reading some of the threads on here - are we allowed to read our history that is taken during the labour and the birth? Not a history that is re written for a referral, but the actual documents that they write in as you are labouring.
Quite a few things went wrong during my labour and birth, not through any fault of the hospital staff, just a scary birth! But i would love to be able to read through from when i was admitted, till when i was discharged.

Like the other girls said yes you can.
I have notes from all 3 hospitals as no-one would give me the full story of what actually went wrong which is appalling but they all try to cover there butts in the medical world..
I had a very traumatic time aswell.. my story is in here "i nearly died a week after my son was born" if it wasn't for requesting my notes i would be still wondering what went wrong..

**~Emmylou~** · 18-03-2008 09:14

Yes I recently got my records for both of my children's births...very interesting reading!

You'll need to request both your records, and your baby's records. And tell them you want all records including your partogram (labour notes), medication charts and paediatricians notes. you have to be specific to get everything

Good luck!

**preciousbabyboy** · 18-03-2008 09:35

ooooh intereesting, how much did you pay to get a copy???

**~Emmylou~** · 18-03-2008 10:51

Originally Posted by preciousbabyboy

ooooh intereesting, how much did you pay to get a copy???

I was told it was going to be $1 per page...and with everything I requested it ended up being about 50 pages. I was thorough...I wanted the works

But they didn't end up charging me for it - I requested them a few weeks before Christmas and the privacy officer went on leave...so it was nearly two months before I got them. So they just never worried about charging me for it which was cool.

**SorenLorensen** · 18-03-2008 11:07

a nurse left my folder on my bed when i was in pre-op (i think thats where i was

) the other week waiting to have my c/s.

i don't know if she did it by accident or what but i had a flip through it, it was really quite a read. i got to read about my m/c i had in march last year, i never felt ready to find thing out about it but on that day i was prepared to read it....i guess since i was just about to have DD2 i felt ready.

i had no idea they could charge you to have it....now im happy i poked my nose in it

**punkbaby** · 18-03-2008 11:12

Each of my bubs they have given me a two page print out, just the medical side of labour, how long each stage was, if it was induced etc and follow up notes (pead referall, medication etc) They didnt offer it with my last bubs but i asked the middy and she quiet happily photocopied it for me.

Its kinda cool comparing how each stage went with them all