Real cases
Slow or costly access, as we file it: the person got their record, but late, or only after paying too much.
Published November 2024 to September 2026, found in sources in 13 languages: 38 of all 442 cases. By region, 6 in Africa, 13 in the Americas, 5 in Asia, 12 in Europe, 1 in the Middle East and 1 in Oceania. Of these, a regulator or court decided 14, the organization involved admitted 12, 11 are allegations not decided and 1 is a person's own account. The sources: 14 decisions by regulators and ombudsmen, 1 court judgments and 23 reports by edited news outlets. The list last changed on October 7, 2026.
Each case is filed under one kind of problem when it is written, by the rule above; the cases here are the ones filed under it. These cases are not a sample: they show what is published and findable, not how common delays and charges are.
Each case's id links its line on Real cases, the one address to cite. Every case, every kind of problem, by country: Real cases.
all cases that month cases filed as delay or cost a month not yet over every panel on the same scale, 0 to 15 cases a month
Each bar counts the cases whose source was published that month, October 2024 to October 2026, by region. Pick a kind of problem to see its share of each bar. Counts show what was published and what our searches found, not how often problems happen. October 2026 runs only to October 3, 2026, the newest source date, so its bars are drawn as outlines. Every case as a spreadsheet (CSV).
| Month | Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Middle East | Oceania | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| November 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| December 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| January 2025 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| February 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| March 2025 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| June 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| July 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| September 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| February 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| March 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| April 2026 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| July 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| October 2026 (so far) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All | 6 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 38 |
| How settled | Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Middle East | Oceania | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A regulator or court decided | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| The organization admitted the problem | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| Alleged, not decided | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| The person's own account | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| All | 6 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 38 |
| Kind of source | Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Middle East | Oceania | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator and ombudsman decisions | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Court judgments | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| News reports | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
| All | 6 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 38 |
· DeFapt.ro
Patients trying to use the new national health record portal report waiting about two weeks for identity validation. Those who get in often see only a few prescriptions, not their full medical history.
From a Romanian source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case ROU-S005 on Real cases Romania: the country page
· Al-Sharq
Patients told the newspaper that government offices reject medical reports older than six months, so they must request new ones, wait about 14 working days and pay 50 riyals each time, though nothing has changed.
From an Arabic source; summary ours.
Delay or cost The person's own account Case QAT-S001 on Real cases Qatar: the country page
· Sermitsiaq
The health service said its electronic patient record was down. While it lasted, patients could not book consultations, make appointments or have prescriptions renewed, and the service said it was working on a fix.
From a Danish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case GRL-S001 on Real cases Greenland: the country page
· Punch · archived copy
Responding to reports of consultation delays and piles of paper folders, the hospital's chief medical director said electronic records cover only two departments so far and the rest will follow in phases.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case NGA-S002 on Real cases Nigeria: the country page
· Turkmen.news
Patients seeking approval for treatment abroad say officials asked for 5,000 dollars before signing the final medical conclusion they need, and that people who do not pay can wait years for the document.
From a Russian source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case TKM-S001 on Real cases Turkmenistan: the country page
· Portal 24kroz7 (from Dan) · archived copy
Patients reported that the national health information system and the eHealth portal were unavailable for several days, so results could not be checked online and prescriptions were issued on paper. The ministry confirmed temporary technical problems.
From a Serbian source; summary ours.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case MNE-S003 on Real cases Montenegro: the country page
· Data Protection Commission (Annual Report 2025 case studies)
A patient asked a former GP surgery to correct entries they believed were wrong and heard nothing. After the regulator stepped in, the surgery apologised, kept the entries as clinical opinion, and offered to add the patient's disagreement.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case IRL-S002 on Real cases Ireland: the country page
· Επίτροπος Διοικήσεως και Προστασίας Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων (Ετήσια Έκθεση 2024)
A patient asked the ombudsman for help after a former state hospital could not locate his medical file. After the ombudsman stepped in, the file was found and he regained access to his key health data.
From a Greek source; summary ours.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case CYP-S001 on Real cases Cyprus: the country page
· Árbol Invertido
A reported feature on complaints about medical errors finds that patients and families struggle to get the complete record, which stays with the institution, and that access can be limited or delayed.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case CUB-S005 on Real cases Cuba: the country page
· Guinéenews · archived copy
A patient treated at a clinic abroad was refused the medical file and follow-up paperwork until a further fee was paid, the outlet reports. The file was released once the bill was settled.
From a French source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case GIN-S001 on Real cases Guinea: the country page
· Divergentes
A woman says two appointments were cancelled for lack of doctors, then staff said they could not locate her file. She repeated her tests and waited more than a year for follow-up.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case NIC-S002 on Real cases Nicaragua: the country page
· Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), PS-00560-2025 (EXP202503617) · archived copy
After leaving her private insurer, a patient had to request her record in person and pay 30 euros in cash for a one-page copy. The regulator found the charge unlawful; the clinic accepted responsibility and paid a reduced fine.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case ESP-S001 on Real cases Spain: the country page
· Le Defi Media Group
Health records clerks in public hospitals say their departments run with about half the staff they should have. Some counters close, so patients must come back the next day to collect their card and learn their follow-up date.
From a French source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case MUS-S003 on Real cases Mauritius: the country page
· Styrelsen for Patientklager (Danish Patient Complaints Board), 26SFP21
A patient living outside Denmark asked a general practice for an electronic copy of their record. The clinic said it could only hand it over on a new USB stick the patient brought in person. The board criticised the clinic.
From a Danish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case DNK-S001 on Real cases Denmark: the country page
· The Star (Borneo Bulletin/ANN) · archived copy
A network failure made the Bru-HIMS record system unavailable at a government screening centre. Worker screening, vaccination and occupational health services were affected and people with appointments were told to reschedule. The ministry apologised.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case BRN-S002 on Real cases Brunei: the country page
· The Star (Kenya)
The insurer issued a notice that a critical failure at its digital platform since 1 March had stopped pre-authorisation and eligibility checks at contracted facilities nationwide. It apologised for the disruption to patient care.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case KEN-S006 on Real cases Kenya: the country page
· Nemzeti Adatvédelmi és Információszabadság Hatóság (NAIH), annual report on 2025, case NAIH-2306-1/2025
A patient asked a health institution to email all their outpatient records. It demanded a per-page fee and said records could only be collected in person. It sent them free months later, after the regulator opened a case.
From a Hungarian source; summary ours.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case HUN-S002 on Real cases Hungary: the country page
· San Marino RTV
The state health service said a technical fault outside its control blocked lab results from loading into the electronic health record for days. It mailed paper copies meanwhile, apologised, and offered help to anyone still missing results.
From an Italian source; summary ours.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case SMR-S001 on Real cases San Marino: the country page
· Borneo Bulletin
An internet fault left a government health centre unable to reach the national Bru-HIMS record system. Test result reviews, sample collection and medicine pickups stopped there, and patients were sent to other centres. The ministry apologised.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case BRN-S001 on Real cases Brunei: the country page
· U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
A patient made six requests for his health information and waited more than a year to receive it. The regulator proposed a penalty; the provider settled before a hearing and paid $112,500.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case USA-S002 on Real cases United States: the country page
· Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos (CADA), Parecer 437/2025
A patient in Madeira received some records but, after repeated requests, a key part of the file was still missing. The health service did not reply to the commission, which ruled it must provide the records or justify refusal.
From a Portuguese source; summary ours.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case PRT-S005 on Real cases Portugal: the country page
· The Tribune (Nassau) · archived copy
A patient said she applied for her own hospital records and paid the fee, but nearly three months later still had not received them, stalling an official application. She alleged staff help faster if tipped.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case BHS-S001 on Real cases Bahamas: the country page
· MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism
A retired mineworker says a medical certification about him was made when he retired, but nobody told him until four years later, when he saw the certificate.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case LSO-S002 on Real cases Lesotho: the country page
· El Heraldo · archived copy
Insured patients were told there was no system for several days, so appointments, medicine and laboratory results stopped. The hospital director said the system had failed, as many times before, because of an internet provider problem.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case HND-S002 on Real cases Honduras: the country page
· CIPER Chile · archived copy
After a cyberattack slowed the national public health institute's systems, confirmatory results for patients in at least seven hospitals took about 30 days instead of 12 to 15. The institute blamed a switch to a manual system.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case CHL-S004 on Real cases Chile: the country page
· Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional (SCP 0923/2025-S1)
Relatives of an adult patient said in a constitutional claim that a written request for his clinical record went unanswered. His lawyer later acknowledged obtaining copies. The Constitutional Court denied protection without examining the merits.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case BOL-S001 on Real cases Bolivia: the country page
· Data Protection Commission (Annual Report 2024 case studies) · archived copy
A patient asked a public hospital for all the personal data it held. More than a month later there was still no answer, though the matter was urgent. The records were provided only after the regulator contacted the hospital group.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case IRL-S004 on Real cases Ireland: the country page
· Malaysian Medical Council · archived copy
The Malaysian Medical Council found that a doctor supplied a requested medical report roughly ten months after the request, failing to provide it within a reasonable time, and reprimanded the doctor along with a separate charge.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case MYS-S003 on Real cases Malaysia: the country page
· Radio Free Asia (Korean service)
Residents told a news outlet that hospitals now post charges at reception, including a fee for a diagnosis certificate, so patients must pay to get a written record of their own diagnosis.
From a Korean source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case PRK-S001 on Real cases North Korea: the country page
· La Nación · archived copy
A data centre failure took the public insurer's digital health record and app offline for hours. Users could not view their records or appointments, and the insurer told clinics to contact affected patients and rebook them.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case CRI-S003 on Real cases Costa Rica: the country page
· U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
A patient's representative asked an academic health center for her records. Part came quickly; the rest arrived more than two years later, after two complaints to the regulator. The center did not contest a $200,000 penalty.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case USA-S007 on Real cases United States: the country page
· Island Times
After a ransomware attack the ministry shut its systems, and staff retrieved patient records manually. Services were delayed, and patients were asked to bring medicine containers and written prescriptions for refills.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case PLW-S002 on Real cases Palau: the country page
· Corbeau News Centrafrique · archived copy
A news report says lab results and scans at a public hospital pile up unread. Patients told reporters they waited ten days to two weeks without receiving the report on their own tests.
From a French source; summary ours.
Delay or cost Alleged, not decided Case CAF-S001 on Real cases Central African Republic: the country page
· Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Información y Protección de Datos Personales (INAI/013/2025)
A person asked a public health insurer for copies of their imaging studies and the reports on them. The insurer missed the legal deadline and only found the files after a complaint. The regulator ordered delivery free of charge.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case MEX-S001 on Real cases Mexico: the country page
· U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
A patient asked a health system for his medical records by mail, telephone and its patient portal. He received them about nine months later, only after the regulator opened an investigation. The system paid $60,000.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case USA-S004 on Real cases United States: the country page
· Information Commissioner's Office · archived copy
Over a year, a large hospital trust failed to answer 32% of people's requests for their own personal data within one month. It could not say how many requests were in its backlog. The ICO issued a reprimand.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case GBR-S003 on Real cases United Kingdom: the country page
· La Nación · archived copy
A ransomware attack encrypted the shared databases of three large testing and laboratory centres, affecting thousands of patients for ten days. The group said no patient data was taken, but labs closed and reports were handed out manually.
From a Spanish source; summary ours.
Delay or cost The organization admitted the problem Case ARG-S001 on Real cases Argentina: the country page
· U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
A patient made a written request for her records, went to collect them, then phoned many times. A county clinic sent them seven months later, after the regulator opened an investigation. The regulator imposed a $100,000 penalty.
Delay or cost A regulator decided Case USA-S006 on Real cases United States: the country page
Cases as of . Our summaries are free to reuse with credit to SuperTruth (CC BY 4.0).
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