I requested records from two different Ontario hospitals. One did not charge me. At the other, I had to pay a fee of $25. That hospital had a maximum fee they could charge, no matter how many copies one requested. None of their fees exceeded $75.

Getting copies from a private clinic is usually more costly. When a client has not attended a clinic for a period of time (e.g. 2 years) records are moved to a storage facility, that may be located in another city. This is what makes it so costly.

Electronic medical records make it a lot easier to get copies.

I have read my records and did not find it very helpful. They are legal documents, so progress notes and so on document treatments, observations and recommendations. There are no personal judgements on a client's character, such as "I dislike Didgee, because her persistence is very annoying".

What do you hope to learn from your psychiatrist's notes?

If you decide to get copies, I suggest you take them to another healthcare professional who can explain the terminology used (e.g. overvalued ideas).