Access to psychiatric records: Bane or boon?

Abstract

The Access to Health Records Act (1990) came into force in the U.K. in November 1991. This legislation is one of several Acts which reflect the increasing desire for freedom of information - a trend which has been developed further in the ‘Patients’ Charter'. It has had a generally enthusiastic reception in the literature. In this article we aim to balance the widespread enthusiasm for this advance in patient advocacy, with an emphasis on the problems of access. The day-to-day interpretation of the Act requires careful judgement both at a clinical and local policy level. The impact which similar legislation has had in other countries and in other professions has generated a literature which can help inform decisions about what constitutes good practice.