Your information, what you need to know

This privacy notice explains why we collect information about you, how that information will be used, how we keep it safe and confidential and what your rights are in relation to this.

Why we collect information about you

Health care professionals who provide you with care are required by law to maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received. These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare and help us to protect your safety.

We collect and hold data for the purpose of providing healthcare services to our patients and running our organisation which includes monitoring the quality of care that we provide. In carrying out this role we will collect information about you which helps us respond to your queries or secure specialist services. We will keep your information in written form and/or in digital form.

Our Commitment to Data Privacy and Confidentiality Issues

As a GP practice, all of our GPs, staff and associated practitioners are committed to protecting your privacy and will only process data in accordance with the Data Protection Legislation. This includes the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) now known as the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, the Law Enforcement Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/680) (LED) and any applicable national Laws implementing them as amended from time to time. The legislation requires us to process personal data only if there is a legitimate basis for doing so and that any processing must be fair and lawful.

In addition, consideration will also be given to all applicable Law concerning privacy, confidentiality, the processing and sharing of personal data including the Human Rights Act 1998, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 as amended by the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015, the common law duty of confidentiality and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations.

Data we collect about you

Records which this GP Practice will hold or share about you will include the following:

• Personal Data – means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
• Special Categories of Personal Data – this term describes personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.
• Confidential Patient Information – this term describes information or data relating to their health and other matters disclosed to another (e.g. patient to clinician) in circumstances where it is reasonable to expect that the information will be held in confidence. Including both information ‘given in confidence’ and ‘that which is owed a duty of confidence’. As described in the Confidentiality: NHS code of Practice: Department of Health guidance on confidentiality 2003.
• Pseudonymised – The process of distinguishing individuals in a dataset by using a unique identifier which does not reveal their ‘real world’ identity.
• Anonymised – Data in a form that does not identify individuals and where identification through its combination with other data is not likely to take place
• Aggregated – Statistical data about several individuals that has been combined to show general trends or values without identifying individuals within the data.

How we use your information

Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare organisations for the purpose of providing you, your family and your community with better care. For example, it is possible for healthcare professionals in other services to access your record with or without your permission when the practice is closed. Where your record is accessed without your permission it is necessary for them to have a legitimate basis in law. This is explained further in the Local Information Sharing at Appendix A.

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service.  Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

• improving the quality and standards of care provided by the service
• research into the development of new treatments and care pathways
• preventing illness and diseases
• monitoring safety
• planning services
• risk stratification
• Population Health Management

Safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults

If we have significant concerns or hear about an individual child or vulnerable adult being at risk of harm, we may share relevant information with other organisations, such as local authorities and the Police, involved in ensuring their safety.

Statutory disclosures

Sometimes we are duty bound by laws to disclose information to organisations such as the Care Quality Commission, the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, the General Medical Council, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Counter Fraud services. In these circumstances we will always try to inform you before we are required to disclose and we only disclose the minimum information that the law requires us to do so

This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law or with consent.

Pseudonymised or anonymised data is generally used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified.

A full list of details including the legal basis, any Data Processor involvement and the purposes for processing information can be found in Appendix A.

How long do we hold information for?

All records held by the Practice will be kept for the duration specified by national guidance from Records Management Code of Practice – NHSX. Once information that we hold has been identified for destruction it will be disposed of in the most appropriate way for the type of information it is.  Personal confidential and commercially confidential information will be disposed of by approved and secure confidential waste procedures. We keep a record of retention schedules within our information asset registers, in line with the Records Management Code of Practice for 2021.

Individuals Rights under UK GDPR

Under UK GDPR 2016 the Law provides the following rights for individuals.  The NHS upholds these rights in a number of ways:

• The right to be informed
• The right of access
• The right to rectification
• The right to erasure (not an absolute right) only applies in certain circumstances
• The right to restrict processing
• The right to data portability
• The right to object
• Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

Your right to opt out of data sharing and processing

The NHS Constitution states, ‘You have a right to request that your personal and confidential information is not used beyond your own care and treatment and to have your objections considered’.

Type 1 Opt Out

This is an objection that prevents an individual’s personal confidential information from being shared outside of their general practice except when it is being used for the purposes of their individual direct care, or in particular circumstances required by law, such as a public health screening, or an emergency like an outbreak of a pandemic disease. If patients wish to apply a Type 1 Opt Out to their record, they should make their wishes known to the Practice Manager.

National data opt-out (NDOO)

The national data opt-out was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt-out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs.

The national data opt-out replaces the previous ‘Type 2’ opt-out, which required NHS Digital not to use a patient’s confidential patient information for purposes beyond their individual care, for Planning or Research. Any patient that had a type 2 opt-out recorded on or before 11 October 2018 has had it automatically converted to a national data opt-out. Those aged 13 or over were sent a letter giving them more information and a leaflet explaining the national data opt-out.  For more information go to National data opt out programme

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.

On this web page you will:

• See what is meant by confidential patient information
• Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care
• Find out more about the benefits of sharing data
• Understand more about who uses the data
• Find out how your data is protected
• Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting
• Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone
• See the situations where the opt-out will not apply

Right of Object

The Thames Valley Shared Care Record is a way of bringing together all your separate records from the different organisations involved in your health and social care. It’s confidential and different to anything you might have heard of before.

It will let health and social care professionals see relevant information about the care and treatment you’ve had across all services. Having a more joined-up view of your information will help them give you better, safer care.

Some of their administrative and secretarial staff might also be able to see information so they can support the professionals. An example would be to send you an appointment letter.

Health and social care organisations in the neighbouring areas will also be able to view your information if necessary, for care you receive there.

All staff must follow the law on keeping your information confidential. Each time they look at your records this will be recorded to make sure they’re only looking at the right information, for the right reasons.

If you don’t like the idea

If you are aged 16 or above, you have the right to object at any time. Please see ‘Some things to note’ below for information if you are under 16.

Please think carefully before objecting and take a moment to read the important information below.

Some things to note

If you are aged 16 or above, we will process your ‘right to object’ form by carrying out our normal checks on the details you have given us.

From the age of 13 to 16, we will consider your right to object if your form has been signed on your behalf by someone with parental responsibility.

If it has not, we will ask a recognised health or care professional if they consider you to be competent to make such a decision.

If you are under the age of 13, we will only consider your right to object if your form has been signed on your behalf by someone with parental responsibility.

We’ll always respect your choice and restrict access to your health and social care information by professionals in our partner organisations where you’ve made use of your right to object. However, to carry out your wishes, we may need to keep some information such as your name, date of birth and NHS number.

This will ensure all partner organisations know about your decision to object so you don’t have to notify all the different organisations who might be involved in your care. Or those who might need to give you care if required.

Please note, for organisations in areas other than [LOCAL AREAS] you will need to contact them directly to find out how you can object.

You won’t be able to choose which services to object to. Objecting will mean each organisation that gives you care will only see electronic information recorded on its own system.

The Shared Care Record is different to anything you might have said no to before. So, if you don’t want your records to be available to view through it, you’ll need to object.

If you want to change your mind

You can reverse your decision to object at any time. Just complete the ‘reversal of objection’ form which can be downloaded from our website and follow the instructions for emailing or posting it back to us.

Want to know more?

For more information about the Shared Care Record and what it means for you, visit Summary Care Record – NHS England Digital

Objecting could have implications you hadn’t thought about. Please take a minute to read this before making your decision.

If you object, each local health and social care organisation will only see records held about you on its own system. Anything needed from other services as part of your direct care or treatment will be forwarded through traditional methods such as phone, email or letter – as it is now.

This could mean vital information about you is not immediately available when you need health or social care support – for instance, during a visit to a hospital Emergency Department.

What will objecting really mean?

• In the Emergency Department, information urgently needed by doctors to treat you could be delayed or difficult to get in time to support your care.
• With COVID-19 potentially set to be with us for the long term, treatment you might need for this could be affected in the same way.
• Your hospital treatment could involve an overnight stay if your GP practice can’t forward your information quickly, for instance, when they’re closed.
• You’ll find yourself having to repeat information every time you need care.
• If you can’t remember what medication you’re taking, you might be given some that reacts with it because your records aren’t available quickly to check.
• The help you need from your social worker might take longer as they spend time chasing other professionals for important information.
• Your health and social care could feel disjointed as the professionals supporting you, won’t be able to see the care each is providing.

If you have questions

If you want to object, you can request this at anytime – it’s entirely your decision. But if you still have questions about it, and what it might mean for you, please speak to the health or care professional who normally provides your care.

Right of Access to your information (Subject Access Request)

Under Data Protection Legislation everybody has the right of access to, or request a copy of, information we hold that can identify them, this includes medical records. There are some safeguards regarding what patients will have access to and they may find information has been redacted or removed for the following reasons;

• It may be deemed to risk causing harm to the patient or others
• The information within the record may relate to third parties who are entitled to their confidentiality, or who have not given their permission for the information to be shared.

Patients do not need to give a reason to see their data. And requests can be made verbally or in writing.  Although we may ask them to complete a form in order that we can ensure that they have the correct information required.

Where multiple copies of the same information is requested, the surgery may charge a reasonable fee for the additional copies.

Patients will need to provide proof of identity to receive this information. We will not share information relating to you with other individuals without your explicit instruction or without sight of a legal document.

Patients may also request to have online access to their data through the NHS App. Please view our Register for Online Access page for more information. If you would like to view a full copy of your medical record, please view our Access to Health Records page.

COVID Passport access

Patients may access their Covid passport via www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-pass, the practice cannot provide this document as it is not held in the practice record. If you have any issues gaining access to your Covid Passport or letter you should call: 119

Change of Details

It is important that you tell the surgery if any of your contact details such as your name or address have changed, or if any of your other contacts details are incorrect including third party emergency contact details. It is important that we are made aware of any changes immediately in order that no information is shared in error.

Mobile telephone number

If you provide us with your mobile phone number, we will use this to send you text reminders about your appointments or other health related information. It is within our legal duty as a public authority to keep our patients updated with important information.

We also use the NHS Account Messaging Service provided by NHS England to send you messages relating to your health and care. You need to be an NHS App user to receive these messages. Further information about the service can be found at the privacy notice for the NHS App managed by NHS England.

Email address

Where you have provided us with your email address, we will use this to send you information relating to your health and the services we provide. If you do not wish to receive communications by email, please let us know.

Notification

Data Protection Legislation requires organisations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information.

We are registered as a Data Controller and our registration can be viewed online in the public register at: ico.org.uk/what_we_cover/register_of_data_controllers

Any changes to this notice will be published on our website and in a prominent area at the Practice.

Data Protection Officer

Should you have any data protection questions or concerns, please contact our Data Protection Officer via the surgery at Contact the Practice | Windrush Medical Practice

What is the right to know?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) gives people a general right of access to information held by or on behalf of public authorities, promoting a culture of openness and accountability across the public sector. You can request any non-personal information that the GP Practice holds, that does not fall under an exemption. You may not ask for information that is covered by the Data Protection Legislation under FOIA.  However, you can request this under a right of access request – see section above ‘Access to your information’.

Right to Complain

If you have concerns or are unhappy about any of our services, please contact the Hattie Clay (Practice Manager) Complaints Procedure | Windrush Medical Practice  Or via the ICO details listed below.

For independent advice about data protection, privacy, and data-sharing issues, you can contact:

The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113
Website: ico.org.uk/global/contact-us

The NHS Constitution

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out the rights patients, the public and staff are entitled to. These rights cover how patients access health services, the quality of care you’ll receive, the treatments and programs available to you, confidentiality, information, and your right to complain if things go wrong.

The NHS Constitution for England – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Reviews and Changes to our Privacy Notice

We keep our privacy notice under regular review. This notice was last reviewed in June 2024.

Appendix 1

GP Privacy Notice Appendix – The Practice will share patient information with these organisations where there is a legal basis to do so.