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Timescales

Data protection principles state that information must not be retained longer then needed for purpose (General Data Protection
Regulation (Rec 39 Art 5)) and protects the rights for the individual to request their personal data is erased (Art 17) under certain
circumstances, although the right to erasure is usually not applicable to health records.

Retention schedules for health records may be specified in your employer’s local policies and guidance on record management. The
retention schedules defined in the Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care Records (2016) Appendix 3 are
considered best practice in the absence of local policies. A summary is provided here. Please refer to the original document for full details.

Care Records

Record Type Retention starts Retention period Action at end of Notes
retention

Adult Health Discharge or patient last 8 years Review and if no longer Includes X-rays, scans, video and other
seen needed destroy formats

Adult Social Care End of care or date last 8 years Review and if no longer
seen needed destroy

Children’s Records Discharge or patient last 25th or 26th birthday Review and if no longer 26th Birthday applies if patient 17 at
seen needed destroy conclusion of treatment.

Includes X-rays, scans, video and other
formats

Electronic Patient Once records have Retention periods same as for paper. Some
Records reached the end of their electronic systems may do this
retention period they automatically. Otherwise the record should
be made inaccessible to users of the

Delivering Quality Services – Information Governance Guidance 1