In line with Department of Health Guidelines, the Caldicott Report and the Data Protection Act we wish to advise you of how we handle information we hold about our patients.
- We ask you for information so that you can receive proper care and treatment.
- We keep this information, together with details of your care, because it may be needed if we see you again.
- We may use some of this information for other reasons: for example, to help us protect the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently, to plan for the future, to train staff and account for actions taken. Information may also be needed to help educate tomorrow’s clinical staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone.
- Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information: for example, to notify a birth.
The NHS Central Register for England and Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The register does not contain clinical information. You have a right of access to your health records. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.
You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all work together for your benefit, we may need to share some information about you. We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in yours and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you.
The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential. If you agree, your relatives, friends and carers will be kept up to date with the progress of your treatment.
The main reasons for which you information may be needed are:
- Giving you health care and treatment
- Looking after the health of the general public
- Managing and planning the NHS. For example: Making sure our services can meet patient needs in the future; Investigating complaints or legal claims; Auditing accounts; Preparing statistics on NHS performance and activity (where steps will be taken to ensure you cannot be identified)
- Helping staff to review the care they provide to make sure it is of the highest standard
- Training and educating staff (but you can chose whether or not to be involved personally)
- Research approved by the local research ethics committee. (If anything to do with the research would involve you personally, you will be contacted to see if you are willing)