A ROW has broken out after pharmacists working in GP surgeries in Bolton were accused of illegally looking at patient's health notes.

Health chiefs are worried that the pharmacists, brought in to ease the workload on family doctors, have been breaching a patient's right to privacy.

They are planning to send letters to every home in Bolton -- more than 104,000 houses -- to obtain consent from every patient to allow health professionals to see their medical notes.

But health watchdog John Seddon, of the Bolton Community Health Council, has expressed concern.

Mr Seddon said: "I am very disturbed about it. I think the Data Protection Act stops you from doing it and, if it doesn't, then it should."

Pharmacists go to GP surgeries to help them review the medication of patients.

Under new legislation, all family doctors must check medicines regularly prescribed.

Helen McKnight, a clinical governance director at the Bolton Primary Care Trust, admitted that there was a "grey area" around the legality of community pharmacists and auditors having access to patient notes.

She admits pharmacists have been viewing notes in Bolton surgeries without consent.

"We have had queries about the legalities of it," Mrs McKnight said.

She is seeking approval to spend more than £3,000 sending out consent forms to Bolton homes, and told PCT board members that it was essential the service continues as it eases the paperwork faced by family doctors.

Cllr Cliff Morris, a non-executive director of the PCT, said that there was no guarantee that residents would receive a copy of the consent form.

Mr Seddon added: "What if the local pharmacist was also a next door neighbour? And would the pharmacists' assistants also have a right to view records?"

Bolton GP Dr Stephen Liversedge, chairman of the Professional Executive Committee, said his colleagues also had "considerable" reservations.

"I am sure the PEC members will be very interested in discussing this issue," he said. "I know that there are considerable reservations about some of these issues."

A decision was deferred until the next PCT board meeting at Bolton Town Hall on August 14.