Draft a clinical records retention policy around how your practice handles records

A privacy policy and a clinical records retention policy do different jobs. A privacy policy usually explains to patients how personal information is collected, used and shared. A retention policy is more operational. It helps your practice decide what records are kept, how long different categories are retained, who can access them, when files are archived and how disposal is handled. For allied health businesses, that can include clinical notes, intake forms, referrals and correspondence. A useful version should be based on your real data practices, not just a generic list of privacy clauses, so the document should reflect your real workflows.

A clinical records retention policy will often deal with treatment notes, patient files, intake and consent materials, referral information, correspondence and related administrative records. It may also cover whether records are held digitally, on paper or in mixed systems, who has access, how archived files are handled, and what steps apply when records reach the end of their retention period. Internal responsibilities can matter too, especially where several practitioners or locations are involved. The aim is to produce a policy that is usable in practice, not just a high-level statement of privacy principles.

We will usually need a practical picture of how your clinic creates and handles records. That can include the services you provide, the types of records you generate, whether records are digital, paper-based or both, who can access them, and whether third-party systems are involved. It also helps to know if you already have a retention schedule, internal guidance or an older policy in place. Small differences in workflow can affect the drafting, because the right approach depends on the working arrangement, documents and the factual context.

Templates can be useful as a rough starting point, but they are often too general for a clinical setting. A generic document may not reflect your treatment model, your record categories, your storage setup or the way staff actually work with patient files. That can leave you with a policy that looks acceptable on paper but is hard to follow in day-to-day use. A more considered document is often worthwhile where your practice uses mixed systems, multiple practitioners, or different service lines that create different recordkeeping patterns.

No. This service covers the legal drafting or review of the policy document and advice on its wording. It does not include technical implementation, security remediation, changing software settings, managing a regulator enquiry or representing you in a dispute. If your practice needs broader privacy support, those pieces can be discussed separately. This page is aimed at the core retention policy itself, which is different from a full privacy compliance project or a response to a live issue.

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