Information relating to complaints should be stored separately from the medical record, as including it in the regular notes could prejudice the patient's relationship with the current or a future healthcare team.
Storing information separately does not stop it being disclosable if you receive a subject access request under the Data Protection Act 2018.
We advise writing draft responses without using patient identifiers. You should delete any draft responses and store only the final version of the complaint response, to make sure you are only keeping relevant information.
This page was correct at publication on 03/11/2021. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.