How we use your information
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We collect and hold data about you to providing safe and effective healthcare.
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Your information may be shared with our partner organisations to Audit services and help provide you with better care.
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Your eConsult will be triaged by the practice and under careful consideration will be reviewed by the most suitable clinician. In addition, your information may be forwarded to our Primary Care Network team, specialising in physiotherapy and well-being services within the practice. Complementing this, under the newly implemented Community Pharmacy Consultation Scheme, we may send your details to a local pharmacy, facilitating contact with a pharmacist for further assistance.
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Information sharing is subject to strict agreements on how it is used.
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We will only share your information outside of our partner organisations with your consent*
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If you are happy with how we use your information you do not need to do anything.
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If you do not want your information to be used for any purpose beyond providing your care please let us know so we can code your record appropriately.
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You can object to sharing information with other healthcare providers but if this limits your treatment options we will tell you.
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Our guiding principle is that we are holding your information in the strictest confidence.
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For more information about who are our partner organisations and how your data is used please see the privacy notice on our website or ask at reception.
*Unless the health & safety of others is at risk, the law requires it or it is required to carry out a statutory function
Data Sharing with Pharmacies
During the pandemic (and beyond) all patients are being encouraged to use electronic prescriptions and repeat prescribing (where relevant). The box below explains how patient information is shared with pharmacies:
Prescriptions containing patient identifiable information and health data will be shared with chemists/pharmacies, to provide patients with essential medication or treatment as their health needs dictate. This process is achieved either by face-to-face contact with the patient or electronically. Where patients have specified a nominated pharmacy they may wish their repeat or acute prescriptions to be ordered and sent directly to the pharmacy making a more efficient process. Arrangements can also be made with the pharmacy to deliver medication.
NB. Patients will be required to nominate a preferred pharmacy.
Subject Access Requests
In most cases, we no longer charge for providing full or partial copies of your medical records. Certain situations may warrant a charge relative to the request; please ask our admin team for clarification.
National Data Opt-out
Under UK GDPR you must fully inform patients as to who their data is shared with (privacy notices) and allow patients to opt out of, or object to data sharing or data processing if they wish.
Anonymised data can be shared as no individual can be identified from it. The opt-outs do not, therefore, apply to anonymised data.
What are Opt-Outs?
There are several opt-outs which used to be defined as Type 1 or Type 2 opt-out.
Type 1 opt-outs can be recorded by the practice; these are to stop data leaving the practice for the Summary Care Record (SCR) or local data sharing. They may include opt-outs for specific services or specific immunisations. In all cases, these must be coded on the patient record.
Type 2 opt-out – this is now the National Data Opt Out – see below.
Type 1 Opt-Outs
Summary Care Record (SCR)
digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr
The SCR is an electronic record of patient information, held securely on the NHS Spine. It is created from your GP medical record. It can be viewed and used by authorised staff in the health care system who are involved in the patient’s direct care.
The minimum data set available includes the patient's name, address, date of birth and NHS number, current medication, allergies and drug reactions. In addition, there is a further data set which includes long-term conditions, significant medical history or specific communication needs. This is now included by default since the Covid pandemic unless the patient has specifically opted out of this data sharing.
Patients can opt-out of their information being extracted from the practice system to be available on the SCR. This information is added to the patient record through the registration screen, or care history screen, rather than the specific code being added, although the code will be in the background and stop the data being extracted at the source.
Care and Health Information Exchange (CHIE)
careandhealthinformationexchange.org.uk
Formerly the Hampshire Health Record, CHIE is a secure system in the Hampshire area which is a depository for health data from surgeries, hospitals, community and mental health, social care and other records. It can be accessed by authorised healthcare professionals as part of patient direct care.
If a patient wishes to opt out of their data being sent to the CHIE they can notify the practice and this is added to their record under EMIS sharing in the Registration or Care History screens.
Type 2 Opt Out
What is the National Data Opt Out?
digital.nhs.uk/services/national-data-opt-out
The National Data Opt Out – NDO prevents patient-identifiable data from being used by NHS England in research or planning of future services. It does not stop patient data from being shared for direct healthcare purposes, and it does not stop anonymised data from being shared.
The website for patients to register their opt-out is www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters or they can call 0300 303 5678, email enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk or by post:
National Data Opt Out,
Contact Centre
NHS Digital
HM Government
7 and 8 Wellington Place
Leeds
LS1 4AP
The practice cannot apply this opt out for the patient.