Confidentiality and Records

How We Use Your Health Records

This page explains why the NHS collects information about you and how it is used (leaflets containing the same information are available in the waiting room):

Who we may share information with:

Your right to see yor health records and how we keep your records confidential.

Why we collect information about you

In the National Health Service we aim to provide you with the highest quality of health care. To do this we must keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you.

These records include,basic details about you, such as address, date of birth, next of kin; contact we have had with you such as clinical visits; notes and reports about your health; details and records about your treatment and care; results of X-Rays, laboratory tests etc; relevent information from people who care for you and know you well such as health professionals and relatives.

It is good practice for people in the NHS who provide care to: discuss and agree with you what they are going to record about you; give you a copy of letters they are writing about you; show you what they have recorded about you, should you ask.

How Your Records are Used

The people who care for you use your records to: provide a good basis for all health decisions made by you and care professionals; allow you to work with those providing care; make sure your care is safe and effective; work effectivly with others providing you with care.

Other may also need to use records about you to: check the quality of care (such as clinical audit); protect the health of the general public; keep track of NHS spending; manage the health service; help investigate any concerns or complaints you or your family have about your health care; teach health workers and help with research.

Some information will be held centrally to be used for statistical purposes. In these instances we take strict measures to ensure that individual patient cannot be identified.

We use anonymous information, wherever possible,but on occasions we may use personally identifiable information for essential NHS purposes such as research and auditing. However this information will only be used with your consent unless the law requires us to pass on the information.

You Have The Right

You have the right to confidentiality under the Data Protection Act 1988 (DPA), The Human Rights Act 1988 and the common law duty of confidence (the Disability Discrimination Act and the Race Relations Act may also apply)

You also have the right to ask for a copy of all records about you (you may have to pay a fee). Your request must be made in writing to the organisation holding your information. There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you. We are required to respond to you within 40 days. You will need to give adequate information (for example your full name, address, date of birth, NHS number etc). You will be required to provide ID before any information is released to you.

If you think anything is inaccurate or incorrect please inform the organisation holding your information.

Notification

The Data Protection Act 1988 requires organisations to notify the Information Commisioner of the purposes for which they process personal information. The details are publically available from the Information Commissioner:

Wycliffe House, Water Laane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, tel 01625 545745, www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

How We Keep Your Records Confidential

Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

We have a duty to: maintain full and accurate records of the care we provide to you; keep records about you confidential, secure and accurate; provide information in a format that is accessible to you (ie in large type if you are partially sighted)

We will not share information that identifies you for any reason, unless: you ask us to do so; we ask and you give specific permission; we have to do so by law; we have special permission for health and research purposes; we have special permission because the interests of the public are thought to be of greater importance than your confidentiality.

Our guiding principal is that we are holding your records in STRICT CONFIDENCE.

Who Are Our Partner Organisations?

We may share information with the following partner organisations: Strategic Health Authorities; NHS Trusts (hospitals, PCTs; Special Health Authorities and the Ambulance Service

We may also share information with your consent and subject to strict sharing protocols about how it may be used with: Social Services; Education Authorities; Local Authorities; Voluntary Sector Providers and the Private Sector.

Anyone who receives information from us also has a legal duty to KEEP IT CONFIDENTIAL

www.GPUK.net
© 2001-2011 Simon Child

Durnford Medical Centre
113 Long Street, Middleton, Manchester, M24 6DL
Tel 0161 643 2011