For clinical negligence and personal injury law firms, obtaining a complete set of medical records is often one of the first and most important stages of building a case.
However, one of the most common questions is: How long does medical records requesting actually take?
The honest answer is that it depends. While some records can be obtained within a few weeks, others may take several months depending on the organisations involved and the complexity of the request.
Typical timescales
Although every case is different, factors that influence turnaround times include:
- The number of healthcare providers involved
- Whether records are held by NHS or private organisations
- The age of the records requested
- The format in which records are stored
- Whether additional information is required before disclosure
When records need to be gathered from multiple organisations, the overall process can quickly become more complex.
Why can medical records requests take so long?
Obtaining medical records often involves coordinating with several healthcare providers, each with their own processes and response times.
Delays can occur when:
- Requests are incomplete
- Patient details need clarification
- Records are archived
- Multiple providers are involved
- Additional authorisation is required
For firms managing large caseloads, keeping track of multiple requests can become a significant administrative burden.
Why speed matters
Medical records are often required before:
- Clinical experts can review a case
- Liability can be assessed
- Medical chronologies can be produced
- Early Case Assessments can begin
The sooner records are available, the sooner legal teams can progress a claim.
How MedBrief helps
MedBrief manages the medical records requesting process from start to finish, reducing the administrative burden on legal teams.
Through our secure platform, firms can track requests, monitor progress and securely manage records once received, helping move cases forward more efficiently.
Get in touch to learn how MedBrief can help reduce administration and keep cases moving.