GDPR

Privacy Notice for General Practice

How we use your personal information

The Privacy Notice explains why the GP practice collects information about you and how that information may be used.

Health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. NHS Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in Clinic, etc.) These records are used to help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.

NHS health care records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Records this GP Practice hold about you may include the following information;

Details about you, such as your name, address, carers, legal representatives and emergency contact details
Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits. emergency appointments, etc
Notes and reports about your health
Details about your treatment and care
Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc
Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you

To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public and to help us manage the NHS. Information may be used within the GP practice for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided. Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified. Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – the surgery will always gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose.

Risk Stratification

Risk stratification data tools are increasingly being used in the NHS to help determine a person’s risk of suffering a particular condition, preventing an unplanned or (re) admission and identifying a need for preventive intervention. Information about you is collected from a number of sources including NHS Trusts and from this GP Practice. A risk score is then arrived at through an analysis of your de-identified information using software managed by our Clinical Commissioning Group and is only provided back to your GP as data controller in an identifiable form. Risk stratification enables your GP to focus on preventing ill health and not just the treatment of sickness. If necessary your GP may be able to offer you additional services. Please note that you have the right to opt out of your data being used in this way.

Medicine Management The Practice may conduct Medicines Management Reviews of medications prescribed to its patients. This service performs a review of prescribed medications to ensure patients receive the most appropriate, up to date and cost effective treatments. This service is provided to practices within Medway Clinical Commissioning Group.

How do we maintain the confidentiality of your records?

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:

Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016
Human Rights Act 1998
Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
Health and Social Care Act 2012
NHS Codes of Confidentiality, Information Security and Records Management

Information: To share or not to share review

Every member of staff who works for an NHS orgainisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and / or in accordance with the new information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (information to share to not to share) where ” The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality”. This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interest of their patients within the framework set out be the Caldicott principles. They should be supported by the polices of their employers, regulators and professional bodies.

Who are our partner organisations?

We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations;

NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
GP’s
NHS Commissioning Support Units
Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
Private Sector Providers
Voluntary Sector Providers
Ambulance Trusts
Clinical Commissioning Groups
Social Care Services
Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)
Local Authorities
Education Services
Fire and Rescue Services
Police and Judicial Services
Voluntary Sector Providers
Private Sector Providers
Other ‘ data processors’ which you will be informed of

You will be informed who your data will be shared with and in some cases asked for explicit consent for this to happen when this is required.

Access to personal information

You have to right under the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulations to request access to view or to obtain copies of what information the surgery holds about you and have it amended or removed should it be inaccurate. In order to request this, you need to do the following:

Submit your request to the GP – for information from the hospital you should write direct to them
There will be no charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you unless it is considered to be excessive
We are required to respond to you within one month
You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth, NHS number and details of your request) so that your identity can be verified and your records located

Objections / Complaints

Should you have concerns about how your information is managed at the GP, please contact the GP Practice Manager. If you are still unhappy following a review by the GP practice, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) via their website (www.ico.gov.uk).If you are happy for your data to be extracted and used for the purposes described in this privacy notice then you do not need to do anything. If you have any concerns about how your data is shared then please contact the practice.

Change of details

It is important that you tell the person treating you if any of your details such as your name or address have changed or if any of your details such as sate of birth is incorrect in order for this to be amended. You have a responsibility to inform us of any changes so our records are accurate and up to date for you.

NotificationThe Data Protection Act 1998 requires organisations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purpose for which they process personal and sensitive information.This information is publicly available on the information commissioners office website www.ico.org.ukHighcliffe Medical Practice is registered with the information commissioners office (ICO).

Who is the Data Controller?The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential is:

Highparks Medical Practice, Parkside, Cliffe Woods, Rochester, Kent, ME38HX

Who is the Data Protection Officer?

Jessica Cross – Practice Manager

If you are still unhappy following a review by the Practice you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). www.org.uk, casework@ico.org.uk, telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25th May 2018, replacing the Data Protection Act 1998.

Please find below Privacy Notices for the Practice. Copies of these are available to read in the waiting areas at the practice sites. If you would like a copy of any of the privacy notices, you can print them from the links below or ask at reception.

Direct Care Privacy Notice

Commissioning, Planning, Risk Stratification and Research Privacy Notice

Human Resources Privacy Notice

Statutory Disclosure Privacy Notice

https://www.kmhealthandcare.uk/your-health/kent-and-medway-care-record

Data Choices

Your Data Matters to the NHS

Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

How your data is used

Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.

Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.

You have a choice

You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?

No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.

What do you need to do?

If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.

To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to make/change your opt-out choice visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

Download a copy of the patient leaflet

Summary Care Record

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

Why do I need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.

This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.

How do I know if I have one?

Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP

Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.