genealogy question

Legacy_user

I wasn't quite sure where to post this, but I'm wondering if there are any genealogists on here who might know the answer to this.

I'd like to find out a couple of things relating to my and my family's past, namely a divorce which took place in the early 1970s and some medical records from a hospital which doesn't seem to exist anymore (same time period).

With the second one I think I am stumped, as the existing medical records do not show any referral to a hospital or specialist, though I do know it took place.

Regarding the divorce, all I know from other people is that it went to the Old Bailey and the divorce would probably have been on grounds of something like unreasonable behaviour. I think there was DV involved, though at the time domestic violence wouldn't have been taken as seriously as it is these days.

I have managed to find birth, marriage and death certificates and entries on the register, but I don't know how (or if) I can obtain any further information regarding the divorce.

Any ideas?

MrsAtobe

The National Archive has this page giving advice on finding out about records of divorce
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/divorce.htm

As to the medical records, the only thing I can think of is to approach the health board that was responsible for the closed hospital and ask them where the records went. I have a vague recollection of them doing this on Who do you think you are, iirc for Bill Odie's mum's medical records.

HTH

DigForVictory

If you have a time period & a location, go looking for surviving neighbours & have a chat? Confirm with photos etc as to who is who, but see what's said, other than "her hair was always lovely" etc.
I have to step a bit careful with some of my kin as remembering all the dead gets distressing. However, the gossip is almost as good for clues as the remaining letters etc.

Grumpelstiltskin

It takes a bit of finding but I think as long as the divorce took place in England or Wales then the search fee is £65, I may be wrong though.

Hospital records then you do need to find out which health authority and although I don't know if they insist on proving relationship the only person I know who successfully obtained records was the son of the person concerned.

System

I will take a look at that national archives page, thankyou.

Re the hospital records I know which area it was in, it was a London borough, but I don't have a clue as to which hospital or clinic or member of staff it was!

Yorkie1

Good luck with the search but I'd be surprised if the medical records were released, even if you found them.

It's only 40 years ago and I think there's a much longer period before sensitive personal data becomes eligible for release. Even census details are 100 years before release.

System

It's my own medical record. I have copies of my medical records from that time period but the bit about the referral and the hospital is missing, which is a bit frustrating. I am not getting my hopes up, but it would be nice to see the hospital records IF they exist. I have an inkling they would have been binned by now as it's so long ago and it would have been a child's medical record, which I don't know if they keep.

alexia75

I'm mostly a lurker on this site but I work with historic medical records so I should be able to advise you here.

As these are your records, you should be able to access them (if they survive). To do this, you will need to identify which NHS trust now covers the relevant area. Hospitals may have closed, moved or been re-named but that doesn't necessarily mean the records won't still exist. You say that you have other medical files - do they provide any details to go on? The name of the hospital you were transferred to, the name of the health authority at that time? Otherwise, you will need to contact every current NHS trust for London to try to track down the records.

You can try (in the first instance) just asking them, with any details you can glean from your other notes, to see if they think their records might be relevant. However, Record Centres tend to be very overworked so don't be surprised if you just get a standard response. To apply formally for any information which still surrives, you need to submit a Subject Access request under Data Protection legislation to the relevant authority -or every authority, if it's not possible to work out which one (I'm not sure if I can post links. If I can: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1309.aspx?categoryid=68 If not, Google Subject Access Request NHS, should be the first page in the list). The standard fee for a SAR is £10.00 and this should be included with your written request.

Hope this helps. Just because this happened a long time ago, or because you were a child at the time, doesn't mean records won't survive somewhere. Often the real problem is tracking through the numerous changes in the NHS organisation during the time since the event to work out where those records are likely to be. Of course, the closer to modern times, the more stringent record-keeping becomes and more likely systematic destruction is, but I wouldn't give up hope yet.

TonyMMM

Divorce records of that period may well be limited to a copy of the Decree Absolute, which will tell you little if anything about the circumstances leading to for divorce.

I was told by a county archivist a couple of days ago that medical records (unless they are your own) are generally regarded as confidential indefinitely, although in practice that generally means about 100 years.

mgdavid

avogadro wrote: »

I will take a look at that national archives page, thankyou.

Re the hospital records I know which area it was in, it was a London borough, but I don't have a clue as to which hospital or clinic or member of staff it was!

so why in post #1 did you say:

hospital which doesn't seem to exist anymore

System

Thank you all so much for your help.

mgdavid wrote: »

so why in post #1 did you say:

hospital which doesn't seem to exist anymore

Most if not all of the hospitals in that area seem to have either merged or closed or been re-named or certain departments have been transferred somewhere else. I cannot think of one hospital or clinic that remains the same as it was back in the 70s. I don't know which hospital or clinic it was that I was referred to but I'd be very surprised if it's still there.

I know the area (geographically) so I will try and see which healthcare authority it comes under.

Re the divorce I would be interested to find out a bit more, but I don't know if it's possible. I got the impression the circumstances surrounding the divorce may have been something out of the ordinary because apparently it went to the Old Bailey. I haven't had a chance yet to look at the link, but I will take a look. I got a family history book out of the library but there's very little information on divorces in there.