Retaining and destroying patient records

The NHS General Dental Services contract (part 13, paragraph 205)¹ requires the contractor to keep patient records for up to two years after a course of treatment has finished. However, holding onto them for longer than this may prove a vital part of your defence if you receive a claim. Our current advice on the retention and destruction of clinical records is as follows.

Retaining records

Not all patient records are handled in the same way. When considering how to categorise records and their retention, it can be helpful to think of patients coming under one of four different headings.

Ongoing patients

These patients attend more or less regularly. There is every justification for retaining these records indefinitely, to assist in the ongoing care of the patient.