Although we protect your confidential data as required by law, your information may be used for NHS purposes and passed to other organisations so we can all work together for your benefit. The sharing of information is strictly controlled and wherever possible we will remove details that identify you.
Uses of your information could include:
- Teaching and training healthcare staff (only with your approval).
- Helping staff to review the care they give, to make sure it is of the highest standard.
- Reviewing and planning services to meet local need. This includes sending information to Health Authorities and the Department of Health.
- Helping with research into better methods of healthcare. The Local Research Ethics Committee must approve research projects. We will ask your permission to use information about you for all research unless it is in a fully anonymised form, that is no one outside the practice could identify the data as relating to you.
In some situations we have a legal duty to report information to the appropriate authorities, for example:
- Reporting of certain infectious diseases that might seriously affect the health of others e.g. meningitis or measles (but NOT HIV or AIDS).
- Where a formal court order has been issued.
All NHS and Primary Care Trusts have a Caldicott Guardian. This is the person who oversees the systems to keep information safe and secure. Our practice manager fulfils this role and will answer any questions you may have.