3. Access medical records
of a person from whom you are not directly descended but
are related to and who does not have descendants
The Department will require
a letter addressed
to the Director-General NSW Department of Health, stating:
- the full name of the patient,
- hospital where the patient was treated or died,
- a copy of the death certificate of the person whose
patient medical record is being requested and that
shows that the deceased has no descendants.
- copies of birth, marriage and death certificates that
prove you are a direct descendant from the person
whose patient medical record is being requested,
- the purpose for which the patient medical record is
being requested ie family history research.
If the provision of the birth, marriage and death certificates
is not possible, the department will accept a Statutory
Declaration that
states:
(please note: the Statutory Declaration must be witnessed by a Justice
of the Peace)
Once the department has received the appropriate documentation
the application is assessed on its merits and if access is
granted, a letter of permission is sent to the applicant
advising that access has been granted. The applicant can
then present the letter to the Senior Archivist, State Records,
Western Sydney Records Centre, 143 O'Connell Street, Kingswood
NSW 2747.
If the applicant cannot visit the State Records Western
Sydney Records Centre themselves, the department can grant
proxy access. To grant proxy access the department still
requires the information as outlined and also the name and
address of the person who will access the medical records
on behalf of the applicant. This can be a friend or relative
or a qualified genealogist.
The Australian Society of Genealogists can provide names
of suitably qualified people www.sag.org.au.
The nominated person will be sent a letter allowing them
to access the records.
|
