---
title: "Review a patient's request to see their records"
summary: "A patient Practor couldn't confirm waits in Portal link requests. Compare what they typed against your record, then approve or decline."
source: https://practor.app/en-za/help/patients-and-records/review-a-request-to-see-records
published: 2026-09-21T06:40:05.569Z
updated: 2026-09-29T07:14:52.939Z
category: "Patients and records"
---

A patient with a portal account can usually unlock their own history. They type their ID or passport number, Practor matches it against your record, and a code goes to the phone number or email address you hold for them.

When that check can't finish, the patient is told you'll look at it, and the request waits for you. Reviewing takes the Owner or Admin role.

## Open the queue

Practor notifies everyone who can review a request. The notification takes you straight there.

To find it yourself, open the **⋯** menu above the patient list and choose **Portal link requests**. The entry carries a count while anyone is waiting.

An empty queue reads **No requests waiting**.

## Read what the automatic check found

Each request is a card. Under the patient's name, Practor says either **Every detail matches your record** or how many details differ.

**Automatic check** counts how many of three agreed: email, ID number and phone. A tick means that one matched what you hold, a dash means it didn't.

Underneath, every detail sits in two columns: **Patient entered** on the left, **Your record** on the right. A row that disagrees is marked **differs**.

Read the rows rather than the count. One of three matching on the ID number is stronger than two of three matching on a shared household phone.

![A request waiting, with the two records side by side](https://res.cloudinary.com/drmnydbcs/image/upload/c_limit,w_1600/f_auto,q_auto:good/v1/help/link-requests/request.png?_a=BAMAOGDh0#1128x433 "The ID number agrees here because neither side has one. That is not evidence.")

## Watch for the duplicate warning

Some cards carry a line saying their details matched more than one record, and that you may be holding duplicates for this patient.

Sort that out before you approve. Approving links them to one of the two charts, and the rest of their history stays on the other. [Merge two records for one person](/help/patients-and-records/merge-two-records-for-one-person) covers it.

## Approve or decline

Press **Approve**. Practor asks you to confirm, and says what you're granting: their portal account will see this practice's complete record for that patient, appointments, invoices and clinical history.

Press **Approve access** to finish. The decision is recorded against your name.

Press **Can't confirm** instead and Practor asks why. The note is required, and it goes in the audit trail under your name.

Declining doesn't cut anyone off. The patient keeps whatever access they already had, usually appointments, and Practor tells them either way.

## Confirm a detail a patient changed

Underneath the requests, **Detail changes** holds patients who edited their own name, surname, date of birth or gender in the portal. Their record here doesn't change until you say so.

Each one is a table of what changed: the **Field**, what's **On this record**, and what the **Patient says**.

Press **Apply to this record** to accept it, or type a reason and press **Decline**. The reason is optional on this one.

## Related

- [Invite a patient to the portal](/help/patients-and-records/invite-a-patient-to-the-portal)
- [Merge two records for one person](/help/patients-and-records/merge-two-records-for-one-person)
- [Who can see your records](/help/patients-and-records/who-can-see-my-records)