Q. We have been a computerised practice for many years but continue to store some paper charts in a secure location on the premises. We want to destroy these charts to make space within our premises. How can we do this correctly?

A. This is a common dilemma for many practices. The practi-cal problem is that most of us have archived paper records which contain both those that can reasonably be destroyed and those that should be retained (maternity or mental health reasons, more complex records). To determine which category an individual chart falls into requires reviewing the contents, which is a time-consuming activity. However, here are some guidelines for how long to keep medical records:

• In general records must be retained for eight years after last contact or death. In the case of children and young people, retain records until they are 26 years old, or eight years after their death. With maternity records, retain for 25 years after the birth of the last child
• In cases of a patient with major psychiatric illness, records must be retained for 20 years after last contact or eight years after their death.For those records that must be retained you have the choice to keep them in paper format (consider adding a 'reasonable date to destroy' sticker) or, scan into computer notes. This can either be done directly into the patient chart, which is time-consuming, or by engaging a commercial company to create an external searchable archive. The type of company that would do this would most likely be one you would use to destroy records securely. Ensure any company you use for document scanning/shredding are compliant with the ISO standard 2700. This guarantees that they have the correct privacy and security arrangements in place.