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Paper Medical Records Storage & Retention

Reference: 24-25518

Date response sent: 10/03/2025

Details of enquiry

I’ve had a look at the NHSE ERIC data but can only see on-site and off-site spend. Nothing around the number of paper records

  1. How many paper medical records does the Trust have as a data controller?
  2. How many primary on-site record libraries are there? (Just looking for primary storage locations, not local departmental stores etc. as that would take a long time to repply to).
  3. How many off-site record libraries are there?
  4. Is records management outsourced for some paper medical records?
  5. Is records management outsourced for all paper medical records?
  6. How many records are Trust-managed and how many are outsourced to a records management provider?
  7. If some or all records management is outsourced, what is the records management provider(s) company name(s)?
  8. Is the company (if more than 1, please list) a Data Controller and/or a Data Processor for the Trust?
  9. How many records has the Trust authorised and had destruction undertaken for within the last two years (2022/23 & 2023/24)?
  10. Was destruction undertaken by a BS15713 provider?
  11. If yes, which of the following are they accredited to: BS15713:2009 or BS15713:2023?
  12. If records management is outsourced, does this include active records (records that have been in active circulation within the last three years)?
  13. If records management is outsourced, does this include dormant records (records that have been in active circulation in the last four to eight years)?

Response sent

The paper records referenced within the Trust’s ERIC return related to paper records which were found to have reached the end of their required retention periods, so the external storage contract was terminated and the records were brought in-house and subsequently destroyed, as there was no longer any reason to store them.

 

  1. How many paper medical records does the Trust have as a data controller?

Circa 30k

  1. How many primary on-site record libraries are there? (Just looking for primary storage locations, not local departmental stores etc. as that would take a long time to repply to).

One

  1. How many off-site record libraries are there?

None

  1. Is records management outsourced for some paper medical records?

No.  It is all in-house

  1. Is records management outsourced for all paper medical records?

No

  1. How many records are Trust-managed and how many are outsourced to a records management provider?

Circa 30k paper records are managed in-house, none are outsourced to a records management provider

  1. If some or all records management is outsourced, what is the records management provider(s) company name(s)?

Not applicable.  See our response to Q6 above

  1. Is the company (if more than 1, please list) a Data Controller and/or a Data Processor for the Trust?

Not applicable See our response to Q6 above

  1. How many records has the Trust authorised and had destruction undertaken for within the last two years (2022/23 & 2023/24)?

Between the period April 2022 and March 2024 the Trust destroyed 400 paper records

  1. Was destruction undertaken by a BS15713 provider?

Yes

  1. If yes, which of the following are they accredited to: BS15713:2009 or BS15713:2023?

BS1571:2023

  1. If records management is outsourced, does this include active records (records that have been in active circulation within the last three years)?

Not applicable,  All current patient records are now held on our Electronic patient records system.

  1. If records management is outsourced, does this include dormant records (records that have been in active circulation in the last four to eight years)?

Not applicable – see our response to Q6 above

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