22 Accepted in Part

Adult adoptees told us that one of the harms they experienced was the loss of...

Recommendation
Adult adoptees told us that one of the harms they experienced was the loss of their health records. The Government should introduce an adoption marker on health records so that requests for medical history can be sensitively handled and additional screening and testing offered where needed. (Recommendation, Paragraph 79) Learning and improving practice
Government Response Summary
The government accepts in principle, committing that NHS England will explore how patients can have their forced adoption experience recorded in health records. This includes improving clinician responses, providing clearer guidance on screening, and enhancing understanding of adoption-related needs.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government Accepted in Part
ACCEPT IN PRINCIPLE The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that clinicians can take account of the impact of adoption where relevant. NHS England will explore how patients who wish to do so can have their experience of forced adoption appropriately recorded in their health record, so that clinicians can take this into account in relation to care, family history, and wider support needs. This includes improving how clinicians respond where family medical history is unknown, including through clearer guidance on screening referrals and the use of genetic services where appropriate. This work will be taken forward with appropriate safeguards, including patient consent and data protection considerations. NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care will work together to share information with clinicians and support improved understanding of adoption-related needs, reinforced through targeted education and training resources. This will help ensure clinicians take account of a patient’s experience of forced adoption, particularly where individuals do not have access to family health history, including when making decisions about screening, referrals, and access to genetic and genomic testing. This will be reflected, for example, in guidance and processes for ordering genomic tests.
Addressee Bodies
Department for Education
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.3 yrs
Report published 27 Mar 2026