How long do hospital keep A&E / Casualty records?
All hospital records are retained for variable periods, depending on their type. Birth records and vaccination records are retained for 25 years, mental health records for 20 years. Records of heart surgery are kept indefinitely, whilst records of cancer care are kept for 30 years. Written A+E records are retained for only 8 years. Most hospital records are now however stored electronically and current guidelines state : Electronic records must not be destroyed or deleted for the foreseeable future.