Asylum Records

[guybrush]

Does anyone know how I might be able to obtain asylum records for the 1960/70s?

The asylum in question is the West Park Mental Hospital, Epsom

Cheers

Guybrush

[Little Nell]

The National Archives | Search the archives | Hospital Records| Details says they are at Surrey History Centre.

[Elaine ..Spain]

You could try contacting the County Record Office and ask if the hospital records have been deposited. However, there may be a 100 year closure on them.

[herky]

Hi,
I have asylum records for a relative but there was a 100 year privacy so I could only get up until 100 years ago and order the rest at a later date.
This was in Scotland so I don't know the privacy laws for England. The local health authority or whoever holds the archive (in my case it was a university)should be able to advise you. If the hospital is still operational you could start with a letter to the hospital and they could let you know how to proceed. Personally, I wouldn't think such recent records would be generally available unless requested by the next of kin or a very close relative. Perhaps it would even require a legal proceedure - these are just my thoughts though.
Good luck and let me know how you get on.

[guybrush]

Wow so many posts in so little time!

Thanks Nell for the link. I'll contact Surrey History Centre and go from there. It's actually for my Grandad so my mum would be next of kin. I might be lucky and get round the 100 year think. I'll have a long wait if not :(

[Mary from Italy]

Definitely worth trying - I've got asylum records for people who died in the 1930s from two different Record Offices. They didn't ask my relationship to the person.