Treated Abroad? Always Get a Copy of Your Scans Before You Leave

More people than ever are having scans and treatment outside the UK - on holiday, on a business trip, as an expat living overseas, or as a non-UK national who is visiting family. Whatever the reason, the same problem comes up again and again: the patient returns home with a diagnosis, but without the images or the report that it was based on.

Hospitals abroad are not connected to NHS computer systems, so your GP or specialist at home cannot simply look up your scan. Unless you bring a copy with you, the images usually stay where they were taken.

Why Your Scan Copies Matter

A copy of your images and report is useful long after your trip. These are the four situations where patients most often need them.

Why It Is Harder Once You Are Home

On the day of your scan, the images are on the hospital's system and the staff can usually copy them for you in minutes. Once you have left, the process changes. You may need to make a formal written request, often in another language, prove your identity, pay a fee and wait for a disc to be posted abroad. Some clinics are slow to reply, some keep images for a limited time, and some simply do not respond to overseas requests.

The same applies to the discharge summary and the written report. They are straightforward to ask for while you are still a patient, and much harder to obtain remotely.

What to Ask For Before You Leave

You do not need to understand the technical details. Simply ask the reception or imaging staff for the following:

Before you go, check that the disc or USB stick is labelled with your name, the date and the type of scan, and ask the staff to confirm it contains the original images rather than pictures. Keep it with your passport in your hand luggage.

Your Right to a Copy

In the UK and across the European Union, data protection law gives patients a right of access to their own health records, including scan images. In October 2023 the Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed that a patient is entitled to a first copy of their medical records free of charge, and does not have to give a reason for asking.

Outside the EU, the rules vary from country to country, and some hospitals charge for copies. Asking before you leave is still the simplest and quickest route, wherever you are.

Already Home Without Your Scans?

Do not worry - it is often still possible to get them. Contact the hospital's medical records or imaging department in writing, and include your full name, date of birth, the date of your scan and the type of scan. Keep a copy of everything you send.

If you would rather not deal with it yourself, Doctorum can often obtain the images for you. We retrieve scans from nearly every NHS hospital, most private facilities and some hospitals outside the UK. Tell us where your scan was done and we will confirm whether we can help before we start.