Accessing someone else’s information
As a parent, family member, or carer, you may request access to manage services for someone else. We call this proxy access. We may refuse or remove proxy access if the GP decides it is not in the patient’s best interest.
To request proxy access:
- collect a proxy access form from reception when we are open
- submit an admin request for us to send you the proxy forms and information to print and complete at home
Children and Young People
Non-urgent advice: Information for under-16s
Your parent or someone else that looks after you may want to use apps or websites to:
- see, book and cancel appointments for you
- see and order prescriptions for you when you need medicine
- look at your health record online
They can ask your doctors (your GP surgery) to link your NHS profile to theirs, so they can do this for you. This is sometimes called “parent and guardian proxy access”, or “third party access”.
It lets them manage your health and care for you online while you’re growing up. This is only until you’re old enough to do it on your own.
For more information about your rights as a young person, see:
Information for under-16s on parents and guardians accessing your doctor’s services
Allowing a parent or guardian to see your health data
Non-urgent advice: Your rights
The information in your health record is called health data. This is important data about you. It must be kept safe, so only the right people can see it.
There are laws to protect your data. Children have the same rights as adults – you own your data. But until you are 16, your parents or guardians have the right to manage this for you.
When you are old enough to understand what online access is, and who you want to have access, the doctors should ask you before they share your data. This is called getting consent.
When we will ask you for consent
From when you turn 11, doctors may talk to you about who has access to your medical information. They will also ask whether you’re old enough to understand this and make decisions about it.
When you can understand it enough to make an informed decision, you’re said to “have capacity”.
You do not have to be old enough to look after your health and care on your own. You can still make an informed decision about whether you want your parents or guardians to manage your health and care for you online.
Most young people under 16 want their parents or guardians to manage their health and care, and online access helps them do this.
When you are 16, we treat you the same as an adult, and parent and guardian access stops. The GP surgery must get your consent before sharing your data. You can ask us if you want your parents or guardians to still have access. They do not have the right to have this in the same way they do when you’re a younger child.
Parents/Guardians
Parents/Guardians access to a child’s record changes based on the child’s age. These processes are automatic.
Child aged 11
When a child turns 11, proxies will lose access to parts of their child’s record. Three months before the child’s 11th birthday, EMIS (our health record provider) will contact both the child and the proxy. If you do nothing, the proxy can only book appointments or order repeat prescriptions.
Contact us if you want to keep accessing the child’s online medical record after they turn 11. We will ask the child if they give permission for ongoing proxy access to their record. A GP will also check if the child can manage their own account. If the child can’t manage, we can keep or restore proxy access as needed.
To maintain the child or young person’s confidentiality, proxy access should only be used where there is a medical or statement of educational need.
Child/young person aged 16
At 16 years old, the NHS considers the young person able to manage their own health records. Three months before the young person’s 16th birthday, EMIS (our health record provider) will contact them and the proxy. We will confirm that we will remove all proxy access on their 16th birthday.
The young person can ask for proxy access to continue. But they need to come to the surgery in person, bring proof of ID with a photo on it, and make the request in writing. We may refuse or remove proxy access if the GP decides it is not in the young person’s best interest.
In some cases, parents/guardians can continue to have proxy access to their child’s online services. This happens only if the GP decides it is in the child’s best interest.
Linked profiles in the NHS App
This only applies if we have both patient and proxy registered with us. Once proxy access is set up, you can access the other person’s profile in your NHS account, using the NHS App or website. See the how to video on the NHS App page.
See the NHS information about using linked profiles.
Linked profiles with other online services
If the proxy is not registered with us as a patient, you’ll need to use another online service to access the health record. For example, Patient Access does this and they have details about how to enable proxy access.