Patients should be in charge of their medical notes, according to a group of Oxford GPs.

The city division of the British Medical Association claims the move would allow people to brief medical staff on their full medical history, making it easier and safer for them to be treated. Oxford division honorary secretary Dr Laurence Leaver said: "There are lots of ways this could work. As far as the BMA is concerned, there's nothing wrong with patients holding records. We should be making it easier for this to happen."

At the moment, only a patient's registered family doctor may hold records, as well as hospitals which have treated them.

At present, patients must give 42 days' notice to see their notes. In an emergency, when a person becomes a temporary patient of another doctor such as when they are on holiday or become a student there is little access to vital medical history. Dr Leaver, a GP at Jericho Medical Centre, said: "Some people become temporary patients and if they have access to their records, it makes it easier for the doctor involved. The patient's usual doctor may be contacted by telephone, but this can be difficult." The division is urging the BMA to press the Government to change the law.

"If a patient leaves the surgery, we have to destroy their records in line with the Data Protection act. "But these records could be very useful for us and the patient," Dr Leaver said.

"What happened to someone 20 years ago could often be of relevance in the future."