Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Getting your records, slides and images released | CION Cancer Clinics
You have a right to copies of your medical records, and to borrow your biopsy slides and scan images for review elsewhere. A written request to the records department is the normal route, and the rules put a time limit on the hospital. This page says what each item is, who holds it, how to ask so that it happens, and what to do if it does not. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Can I get my records, slides and scan images released?
- What are the different items, and who holds each one?
- How do I ask, so that it actually happens?
- Words you will meet, in plain language
- Four things families are told at the counter, and what is actually true
- What you get as a copy, and what you get on loan
- What if they refuse or delay, and what can this page not tell you?
- Common questions about getting records, slides and images released
The short answer
Can I get my records, slides and scan images released?
Yes. Your reports, your scan images and your biopsy slides are about your body, and you have a right to copies of them. In India the medical council's rules require a hospital to give you copies of your records within three days of a written request. Slides and the tissue block are usually lent for review rather than given away, and that is normal.
Why you might need them
Most often it is for a second opinion, for a new surgeon, or for a centre nearer home that will share your follow-up. A new team can read a report, but a pathologist wants to see the actual slides, and a surgeon wants the actual images rather than a printed summary. Without them, a review is guesswork, and tests may be repeated that did not need to be.
What you are entitled to
Copies of the case sheet, discharge summary, operation notes, biopsy and pathology reports, blood results and scan reports. The scan images themselves, on film or disc. The slides and block on loan, usually against a small deposit that is returned when they come back. You do not have to explain why you want any of it.
Ask for everything at once. Two requests take twice as long as one.Know what to ask for
What are the different items, and who holds each one?
Each lives in a different department. Naming them correctly is half the work.
Case sheet and discharge summary
The written record of your admission: notes, medicines given, what was done each day, and the summary you were handed on leaving. Held by the medical records department.
- Ask for a certified copy
- Usually a per-page charge
Scan images
CT, MRI, PET-CT and ultrasound pictures. The printed report is not the images. Ask for the images on a disc or as a download link. Held by the radiology department.
- Films are bulky; a disc is better
- Check the disc opens before you leave
Slides and the block
Thin glass slides of your biopsy tissue, and the wax block it was cut from. A new pathologist reviews the slides; extra tests need the block. Held by the pathology lab.
- Lent, not given, against a deposit
- Carried in a slide box, flat and cool
Operation and pathology reports
The surgeon's note of what was done and found, and the pathologist's report on what was removed. These two decide what happens next, and a new team will read them first.
If the operation was elsewhere, ask that hospital, not the one that did the biopsy.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistDoing it properly
How do I ask, so that it actually happens?
Write it down
A short letter or email to the medical records department, naming each item you want and the dates of admission. Keep a copy and note the date. A spoken request at a counter has no date attached.
Say who you are
The patient signs, or a family member with the patient's signed consent and an ID. If the patient has died, the legal heir can ask, with proof of relationship.
Pay the charges and the deposit
Copying charges are usual and should be on a printed list. Slides and the block carry a refundable deposit. Take a receipt for both.
Collect and check
Count the pages against your list. Open the disc on a computer. Check the slide box is labelled with your name and the lab number. Do this at the counter, not at home.
On the request form
Words you will meet, in plain language
- MRD
- Medical records department. The office that holds case sheets and issues copies. Usually the first place to go.
- Block
- Your biopsy tissue set in wax so thin slices can be cut. The lab keeps it for years. It is the source for any later test.
- Slide review
- A second pathologist looking at your existing slides. It confirms or questions the diagnosis without a new biopsy.
- DICOM
- The file format scan images come in. Any hospital can open it. A photo of the screen is not the same thing.
- Certified copy
- A photocopy stamped and signed by the hospital as true. Ask for this when the records may be needed for a scheme or a claim.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Commonly believed
Four things families are told at the counter, and what is actually true
"The slides belong to the hospital. We cannot give them."
The hospital stores them, and it is right to want them back. But lending them for a review elsewhere is routine practice, and refusing outright is not. Ask for the loan procedure and the deposit amount in writing.
"If you take the block, your diagnosis will be lost."
The report is already written and stays on file. The block goes out for review and comes back. If a new lab needs to keep part of it for a test, it will say so and note it. Nothing about your diagnosis is lost.
"You will need a lawyer or an RTI application to get records."
You do not. A written request to the records department is the normal route, and the rules put a time limit on the hospital, not on you. Legal steps are for the rare case where a written request is ignored.
"Asking for records means we are planning to sue."
Hospitals hear this request many times a day, mostly from families going for a second opinion or moving nearer home. Asking is ordinary. You are not obliged to explain, and staff rarely ask.
Side by side
What you get as a copy, and what you get on loan
Yours to keep, as a copy
Lent, and expected back
Discharge summary, case sheet and operation notes
Glass slides from the biopsy or the operation specimen
Pathology, biopsy and blood reports
The wax block, when extra tests are needed
Scan images on disc, and printed scan reports
Original films, at some older centres
Being straight with you
What if they refuse or delay, and what can this page not tell you?
Delay is more common than refusal. If the deadline in your written request passes, go back to the records department in person and ask for the head of the department by name. Most delays end there. If not, the hospital's patient grievance desk or the medical superintendent is the next step, and a written complaint to the state medical council is the one after that. Keep every letter and receipt.
Unpaid bills and records
A hospital may ask you to settle an outstanding bill before issuing copies. It may not withhold a discharge summary or a pathology report that you need for ongoing treatment. If you are in that situation, say plainly that the records are needed for treatment elsewhere and ask for the reports first while the bill is discussed.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether the new team will want the slides, the block, or only the reports; ask them before you request anything. It cannot tell you what a review will find, or whether the first diagnosis was right. And it is not legal advice. If a dispute about records has become a dispute about care, that needs a different kind of help.
If a hospital is not releasing records you need for treatment, call the helpline. We will tell you exactly what to ask for and whom to write to.Questions we are asked
Common questions about getting records, slides and images released
Can my son or daughter collect the records for me?
Yes, with a signed authorisation from you and their own ID. Some hospitals have their own form; ask for it when you write. If you are too unwell to sign, the hospital will usually accept the family member who was named as attendant during the admission.
How long does it take to get the slides?
Longer than paper records, because the lab has to find the block, sometimes cut fresh slides, and label a box. Ask when you request, and if a second-opinion appointment is booked, say the date. Paper copies should come within the time the rules set.
Do I have to return the slides?
Yes. They are lent for review and the lab expects them back, which is why there is a deposit. The reviewing hospital will hand them back to you after its report is issued. Return them promptly and collect your deposit with the receipt.
Is there a charge for copies?
Usually a modest per-page charge for paper and a fixed charge for a disc, plus the refundable deposit on slides. The rates should be on a printed list at the records counter. Ask for a receipt; you may need it for a scheme claim or reimbursement.
Can I just photograph the reports with my phone?
For your own reading, yes, and it is a good habit. For a new hospital, a clear scan or a certified copy is better, and scan images need the disc, not a photo of the screen. A pathologist cannot review a photograph of a slide.
The hospital says the block was discarded. What now?
Labs keep blocks for years, so ask them to check again with the exact lab number from your report. If it truly cannot be found, the new team will decide whether the existing report is enough or whether a fresh biopsy is needed. That is uncommon, but it happens.
Can I get records for a parent who has died?
Yes. The legal heir can request them with proof of relationship and the death certificate. Families sometimes need these for insurance, for a scheme claim, or simply to understand what happened. The same written request to the records department applies.
Will asking for records upset my current doctor?
It should not, and usually does not. Doctors know that patients seek second opinions and move nearer home. If you feel awkward, say simply that you want your file complete. You do not have to say more, and a doctor who reacts badly has told you something useful.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- NHS — How to access your health records
- National Cancer Institute — Pathology reports
- American Cancer Society — Understanding your pathology report
- National Medical Commission — Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Changing Surgeons or Hospitals Before the OperationThe decision these records usually serveHaving Surgery in Hyderabad and Follow-Up at HomeWhen a local doctor needs your fileThe Pathology Report After SurgeryWhat the report you are collecting actually saysBiopsy guideWhere the slides and block come fromCost, Insurance and Schemes for Cancer SurgeryWhy certified copies matter for a claim
Talk to us
Need your records for a second opinion?
Tell us which hospital holds them and what the new team has asked for. We will tell you exactly what to request and whom to write to. One helpline serves every CION centre.