Medical records

We are emigrating next month and have asked our GP practice in the UK for "hand over files". We were told we could either have a list of current medication or the entire records printed out for £50 each. I am not concerned about the cost but was concerned about the amount of extra paper we would have to transport. Surely they could give us something electronic to take.

My other thought was when we join a practice in Sydney would they request our medical records directly.

What is your experience?

Hi we emigrated to perth in may, neither my husband, children or myself had any serious health problems all i brought was a script of current medications abd immunisation records for rhe four of us and have had no issues. Good luck with ut all!

You don't need to bring your medical records

Unless you have an ongoing illness or are under consultant care or some such. For general GP stuff or any ops/treatment you've had in the past you can fill them in at the practice yourself. My GP's had a form where you checked off any long standing conditions/treatment and ops but other than that, nothing needed. I'd really not worry they need to know about every visit you've ever had to a GP .

I would double check with the surgery about how they give it you, as we paid the £50 each so they put it on 4 secure discs with passwords so a lot easier. I do think it is a good idea if you can't remember dates and years for certain vaccines.

Just to add, having used several GP practices here (you can go to any), none of them asked for our medical files or if we had them. We brought the red book for vaccinations for child and then he had a couple of extra jabs, Hepititis and chicken pox and that was all.

Ours is ready at doc surgery for £50 ea. Lets hope it is on secure discs and not paper copies. We are both in late 60s and my husband has asthmas and his treatment has been complicated

the only thing that we were asked for was immunisation records for the children (by the school).

You can give the GP your history, and it's worth adding that here you don't have to register with one GP - you could go to a different one every week if you wanted to

Ours is ready at doc surgery for £50 ea. Lets hope it is on secure discs and not paper copies. We are both in late 60s and my husband has asthmas and his treatment has been complicated

If that is the only serious medical issue I'd ask if you can just have that part of it that covers his asthma and treatment for it. If the rest are things that are not serious or were treated long ago and resolved fully, it could be you can leave those off. Else you may have a lot of notes and I doubt a new doctor is going to read the entire thing. They'll want the important stuff. If its paper copies I'd sift through and highlight all the asthma recorded parts and put those on the top of the pile. If its on a stick or disc then the search function will come in handy

We've only ever been asked for immunisation records for the kids for their Medicare vaccination record. You don't really register with a GP like you do in the UK, you can see whomever you want. I think I've just always filled in a form about previous medical history when I've been to a new one. Of course if you have medical issues you might need more information, but otherwise I'd just get the immunisation details, particularly if you have kids because you'll need them when enrolling in daycare/school.

I have three medical conditions which have been a bit complicated over the years but I didn't bring any medical records as I know my treatment well and know my complications so I just filled in forms here with gp (been to several now) and verbally relayed my issues n that was fine, none of GPs have ever asked for anything else and I have always recieved good care...although I did wonder how they didn't now I wasn't just making it up but I guess that would be pointless! But I imagine if any drugs of misuse are needed I would take medical records for that

I had my records printed out (but have not referred back to them so far), but unless you are a very large family, who have been to the GP a LOT, I don't think you have any need to worry about the volume of paper.