You have decided to explore a cannabis consultation. The practical question is what to prepare. The main document a specialist requires is your Summary Care Record (SCR), which your GP holds and which you can access for free. You may also need relevant specialist letters. Requesting your records is a legal right and you do not need to explain to your GP why you want them.
Key Takeaways
- Your Summary Care Record (SCR) is the primary document. It is free, held by your GP, and available via the NHS App in minutes.
- Specialist letters, investigation reports, and hospital summaries strengthen your case where relevant.
- You do not need a GP referral. Records are yours by law under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- If asked, you do not need to answer or you can say for a private medical appointment.
- Start requesting records before booking. Some routes take up to 30 days.
Your Summary Care Record (SCR): Core Document to Access Medical Cannabis in the UK
Your Summary Care Record (SCR) is a national NHS record held by your GP containing your current medications, allergies, diagnoses, and treatment history. It is the primary document UK medical cannabis clinics require before your consultation, because it allows the specialist to confirm your diagnosis and review the treatments you have already tried.¹
For a cannabis specialist, the two most critical elements in your SCR are confirmation of a qualifying chronic condition and documented evidence that at least two prior treatments have been tried without adequate relief.
Your cannabis prescription UK medical history check begins here, with the clinician building a full clinical picture before any prescribing decision is made.
These are the core eligibility requirements a specialist needs to see. Your SCR typically includes current and past prescribed medications, known allergies and adverse reactions, significant medical history including diagnoses and surgeries, and relevant clinical events.
If your SCR does not capture specialist or private treatment history, you will need additional supporting documents, covered in the next section.
How to Get Your Summary Care Record: Step by Step
- NHS App (fastest): Log in, navigate to ‘Health Record’, and request full record access if not already enabled. Records can be available within minutes if your surgery has enabled full access.
- Patient Access or SystmOne: Log in to your surgery’s online portal and navigate to ‘Medical Records’. Not all practices have enabled full clinical record access, so check with your surgery first.
- Email your GP surgery: Request your SCR for a private appointment without specifying which type. Most surgeries respond within 5 to 10 working days. Template: ‘I am writing to request a copy of my Summary Care Record for use at a private appointment. Please send it in PDF format.’
- In person: Visit reception and request your records. Bring photo ID. The first copy is free under UK GDPR.²
- Subject Access Request (SAR): A formal GDPR request for all data held about you. The most comprehensive route, but surgeries have 30 calendar days to respond. Use this if your SCR appears incomplete or you need extensive historical data.
Knowing how to get medical records for medical cannabis UK is simpler than most people expect. The NHS App method is by far the quickest. If your surgery has not enabled full access, the email method typically delivers records within one to two weeks.
Start early and do not leave it until the day before your consultation.
What Else You May Need: Condition-Specific Documents
For many patients, the SCR alone will be sufficient. For others, supporting documents significantly strengthen the specialist’s assessment.
Here is what is typically relevant by condition type.
- For chronic pain, relevant documents include pain clinic letters, MRI or CT reports, physiotherapy discharge notes, and consultant letters from orthopaedic, neurological, or rheumatology specialists. Our chronic pain resource covers the clinical history a specialist reviews.
- For mental health conditions, a psychiatrist letter confirming your diagnosis and prior treatment history is often requested, particularly for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment-resistant depression, or anxiety disorders.
- For cancer-related symptoms, oncology outpatient letters and treatment summaries are relevant. For neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or neuropathic pain, neurology consultant letters are particularly valuable.
The general rule: The more specialist your condition, the more supporting documentation your clinician will want. When in doubt, gather more rather than less.
Do You Need to Tell Your GP?
This question comes up often, and the answer is reassuring.
You are not required to tell your GP that you are pursuing a private cannabis consultation. Your records are yours under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. Requesting a copy does not require you to explain your reasons.²
Requesting your GP records for a private cannabis clinic appointment is no different legally from any other records request. Your GP cannot withhold them on the basis of personal views about your treatment choices.
Private specialist prescribing operates entirely outside the GP approval pathway. If you prefer not to contact your surgery at all, the NHS App and Subject Access Request routes allow you to obtain your records without speaking to anyone at the practice directly.
What If You Have Private Records or No NHS History?
Private specialist letters and hospital discharge summaries are accepted alongside NHS records. If your treatment history is primarily from private practice, contact your previous specialists for a letter summarising your diagnosis and treatments tried.
Translated overseas medical records are generally accepted, but a foreign cannabis prescription does not transfer to the UK. You must be assessed by a GMC-registered specialist before a UK prescription can be issued.³ If you have minimal documentation, contact the clinic before booking to check whether an assessment is still worthwhile.
Preparing Your Records for LeafEase
Records are shared securely when completing the eligibility check at LeafEase. No physical documents need to be posted. PDF format is strongly preferred. Scan paper letters using a free app such as Adobe Scan or Microsoft Lens before uploading. Complete records mean a smoother assessment and a faster process. All consultations are by video with a GMC-registered specialist, so no travel is required.
LeafEase is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and all prescriptions are issued under the MHRA regulatory framework for cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs).
For a full overview of how the consultation process works at LeafEase, including what happens after you submit your records, see how-it-works, where we cover each stage in detail.
Once you are ready, you can check your eligibility for free at LeafEase. It takes a few minutes, costs nothing, and gives you a clear picture of whether a consultation is the right next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
What medical records do I need for a cannabis consultation in the UK?
Your primary document is your Summary Care Record (SCR), which your GP holds and which you can access free via the NHS App. Supporting documents such as specialist letters, MRI reports, or hospital discharge summaries are not always required but can significantly strengthen your assessment where your condition involves specialist care.
How do I get my SCR if my GP surgery has not enabled NHS App access?
Email your surgery directly to request a copy for a private appointment. You are not required to specify why. Most surgeries respond within 5 to 10 working days. Alternatively, submit a formal Subject Access Request (SAR) under GDPR, to which surgeries must respond within 30 calendar days.
Can I use overseas or private medical records for a cannabis consultation?
Yes. Private specialist letters and overseas medical records are accepted by UK cannabis clinics. Note that a foreign cannabis prescription does not transfer to the UK. You will still need to be assessed by a UK GMC-registered specialist before a UK prescription can be issued.
What happens if my SCR does not show my full treatment history?
If your SCR is incomplete, gather supplementary documents directly from the specialists or clinics involved. Private clinic letters, hospital discharge summaries, and consultant reports are all valid. A Subject Access Request to your GP will also return a more comprehensive data set than a standard SCR.
Is requesting my medical records free in the UK?
Yes. Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you are entitled to a copy of your medical records free of charge. GP surgeries cannot charge for the first copy.
Does requesting records through the NHS App alert my GP that I am seeking a cannabis consultation?
No. Accessing your records via the NHS App is a standard patient right. It does not generate a notification to your GP or flag any specific reason for access. Your request is neutral and routine from the practice’s perspective.
References
[1] NHS England Digital (2025) Summary Care Records (SCR): information for patients. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr/summary-care-records-scr-information-for-patients [Accessed: July 2026].
[2] Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (2025) Your right to get copies of your data. Available at: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/your-right-to-get-copies-of-your-data/ [Accessed: July 2026].
[3] NHS England (2023) Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs). Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-cbpms/ [Accessed: July 2026].
[4] NHS England Digital (2025) Summary Care Records (SCR). Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr [Accessed: July 2026].
[5] MHRA (2024) Drug licensing factsheet: cannabis, CBD and other cannabinoids. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cannabis-cbd-and-other-cannabinoids-drug-licensing-factsheet [Accessed: July 2026].
