Any patient may see his or her own medical records and to do this you will need to write to or email the Practice Manager to arrange a convenient time (email to: churchstreetpractice@nhs.net). Please bring some form of photographic ID, e.g. driving license or passport with you to the meeting.

It will be necessary for a member of staff to go through the recent records with you as these are all computerised. There will be no charge for viewing the information but there will be a small charge for any photocopies requested.

If there is anything in your records that is factually incorrect, it may be possible to correct this in accordance with your rights under the Data Protection Act but any request to amend information must be made in writing. Entries expressing medical opinion which were reasonably based on the information available at that time will generally not be changed even if they subsequently prove to be incorrect, but we will add to the entry to explain the position more fully in the light of the later information received, in some cases if the request is submitted in writing.

Sharing information in the NHS helps ensure that the quality and safety of services is consistent across the country. It can also highlight different diseases and conditions that may require more NHS investment. The care.data programme gives an opportunity for each of us to help the NHS provide high quality care for all.

The Care Data programme is being rolled out across the country and the practice is required to allow the extraction of patient data. As a Patient, you may opt out if you do not want your data shared in this way and the practice will add a special code to stop the release of your data.

Complete the ‘Data Sharing Options’ form.

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of health care and central to the work of everyone in general practice. All information about patients is confidential, from the most sensitive diagnosis, to the fact of having visited the surgery or being registered at the practice. Only where a patient or other person is at grave risk of serious harm will it be considered justifiable to breach confidentiality and then, only after due consultation and generally discussion with the patient. Any decision to disclose information to protect health, safety or well-being will be based on the degree of current or potential harm, not the age of the patient.

The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is as great as the duty owed to any older person. If a child is deemed able to fully understand his/her health problems, we cannot automatically give information to parents without his/her consent. Doctors will use the Gillick competency and Fraser guidelines to decide if a child is competent to make their own health decisions. We do always try to encourage young people to discuss health issues with their parents.

All staff must sign the Practice Confidentiality Policy and any breach of this could lead to instant dismissal. A copy of the practice policy is displayed at reception. If you want us to give information to another person please let us know and be sure to tell us if this applies to everything or if it is for one specific thing e.g. if we can give your spouse all test results or just one, or if we can let your parent know your appointment times or test results.

Complete the online ‘Consent to Share Information’ form.

The Practice is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998 and has strict Information Governance policies to ensure we meet all 8 principles set out in the Act in regard to holding, updating, protecting and releasing the confidential information that we hold.

We take all aspects of Information Governance very seriously and all staff are trained with regard to the security, accuracy and confidentiality of the data we hold. Any breaches of our Information Governance policies will be treated as serious disciplinary matters.

We use an approved web based clinical software system, EMIS Web, for recording patient data and this provides secure off-site data storage with full and regular backup of the data to prevent loss of data. Any significant breaches will be reported to the appropriate authority

The Freedom of Information Act provides public access to information held by public authorities. It does this in two ways:

• Public authorities are obliged to publish certain information about their activities.
• Members of the public are entitled to request information from public authorities.

We have a published scheme of how you can access information but in essence all you need to do is send a written request to the practice manager either by letter to the surgery or by email to: churchstreetpractice@nhs.net and they will deal with your request.

We are required by law to share some data from patients clinical records with NHS Digital under the General Practice Data for Planning and Research Directions 2021. For more information, including how your data can be used to help the NHS, and how to opt-out of sharing of your records, go to NHS Digital.

Data Protection Act and Information Governance The Practice is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998 and has strict Information Governance policies to ensure we meet all 8 principles set out in the Act in regard to holding, updating, protecting and releasing the confidential information that we hold.

We take all aspects of Information Governance very seriously and all staff are trained with regard to the security, accuracy and confidentiality of the data we hold. Any breaches of our Information Governance policies will be treated as serious disciplinary matters.

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.

The aim of the Constitution is to safeguard the enduring principles and values of the NHS. The Constitution also sets out clear expectations about the behaviours of both staff and patients. It is intended to empower the public, patients and staff by setting out existing legal rights and pledges in one place and in clear and simple language. By knowing and exercising their rights, the public, patients (their carers and families) and staff can help the NHS improve the care it provides.

The practice fully supports the NHS principles and values and has encapsulated the core principles in its own Patient Charter.

Download ‘Practice Charter Patient’ leaflet.

From March 2013, clinicians across Oxfordshire have been able to access the Oxfordshire Care Summary. The Oxfordshire Care Summary is a single electronic view of specific, up-to-date, clinical information from your GP record and other records which may be kept to support your care in NHS organisations in Oxfordshire.

If you have an Oxfordshire Care Summary, clinicians will be able to check medical details that are held by your GP. These will include any significant diagnoses you may have, and what medication you take, or have taken recently. They will also be able to check on what tests your GP has carried out. They will not be able to see information about conversations you have had with your GP or information on sensitive subjects such as sexual health. They will also be able to see information about treatment you have received at the Horton or John Radcliffe Hospitals, attendances at Minor Injury Units and GP Our of Hours services, and some documents such as care plans.

You will already have been asked for consent to share these pieces of information. The information will be used to ensure you get the safest treatment as quickly as possible. If you chose to opt out, the practice has added the relevant code to stop the sharing of your data.

You have the right to change your mind and can opt in or out by completing the Practice Data Sharing Options form.

Complete the ‘Data Sharing Options’ form.

Version 1 14 May 2018
Privacy Notice(v.2) updated 13/11/2024

Your information, what you need to know

This privacy notice explains why we collect information about you, how that information may 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 within any NHS organisation. 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 may collect information about you which helps us respond to your queries or secure specialist services. We may keep your information in written form and/or in digital form. The records may include basic details about you, such as your name and address. They may also contain more sensitive information about your health and also information such as outcomes of needs assessments.

Details we collect about you

The health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. from Hospitals, GP Surgeries, A&E, etc.). These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare. Records which this GP Practice may hold about you may include the following:

• Details about you, such as your address and next of kin
• 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

How we keep your information confidential and safe

Everyone working for our organisation is subject to the Common Law Duty of Confidence. Information provided in confidence will only be used for the purposes advised with consent given by the patient, unless there are other circumstances covered by the law. The NHS Digital Code of Practice on Confidential Information applies to all NHS staff and they are required to protect your information, inform you of how your information will be used, and allow you to decide if and how your information can be shared. All our staff are expected to make sure information is kept confidential and receive regular training on how to do this.

The health records we use 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. Your records are backed up securely in line with NHS standard procedures. We ensure that the information we hold is kept in secure locations, is protected by appropriate security and access is restricted to authorised personnel.

We also make sure external data processors that support us are legally and contractually bound to operate and prove security arrangements are in place where data that could or does identify a person are processed.

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

• General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR)
• Human Rights Act
• Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
• NHS Codes of Confidentiality and Information Security
• Health and Social Care Act 2015
• And all applicable legislation

We maintain our duty of confidentiality to you at all times. We will only ever use or pass on information about you if we reasonably believe that 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 (such as a risk of serious harm to yourself or others) or where the law requires information to be passed on.

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 your permission when the practice is closed. This is explained further in the Local Information Sharing section below.

Under the powers of the Health and Social Care Act 2015, NHS Digital can request personal confidential data from GP Practices without seeking patient consent for a number of specific purposes, which are set out in law. These purposes are explained below.

You may choose to withdraw your consent to personal data being shared for these purposes. When we are about to participate in a new data-sharing project we will display prominent notices in the Practice and on our website at least four weeks before the scheme is due to start. Instructions will be provided to explain what you have to do to ‘opt-out’ of the new scheme. Please be aware that it may not be possible to opt out of one scheme and not others, so you may have to opt out of all the schemes if you do not wish your data to be shared.

You can object to your personal information being shared with other healthcare providers but should be aware that this may, in some instances, affect your care as important information about your health might not be available to healthcare staff in other organisations. If this limits the treatment that you can receive then the practice staff will explain this to you at the time you object.

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.

Recall process

We will be using the Hippo Recaller App to invite you in for medical care, this will include annual reviews for any long-term condition you may have, blood tests, cervical smears and immunisations. We may send you communications relating to your health and care through the Hippo Recaller App. The Hippo Recaller App is a service provided by Hippo Labs Ltd. For further information see: https://www.hippolabs.co.uk/privacy-policy

Child Health Information

We wish to make sure that your child has the opportunity to have immunisations and health checks when they are due. We share information about childhood immunisations, the 6-8 week new baby check and breast-feeding status with NHS Oxford Health Foundation Trust health visitors and school nurses, and with NHS South Central and West Commissioning Support Unit, who provide the Child Health Information Service in Oxfordshire on behalf of NHS England.

Clinical audit

Information may be used by the CCG for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided to patients with long terms conditions. Some of this information may be held centrally and used for statistical purposes (e.g. the National Diabetes Audit). When this happens, strict measures are taken to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified from the data.

Clinical Research

Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – we will always ask your permission before releasing your information for this purpose.

Improving Diabetes Care

Information that does not identify individual patients is used to enable focussed discussions to take place at practice-led local diabetes review meetings between health care professionals. This enables the professionals to improve the management and support of these patients.

Individual Funding Request

An ‘Individual Funding Request’ is a request made on your behalf, with your consent, by a clinician, for funding of specialised healthcare which falls outside the range of services and treatments that CCG has agreed to commission for the local population. An Individual Funding Request is taken under consideration when a case can be set out by a patient’s clinician that there are exceptional clinical circumstances which make the patient’s case different from other patients with the same condition who are at the same stage of their disease, or when the request is for a treatment that is regarded as new or experimental and where there are no other similar patients who would benefit from this treatment. A detailed response, including the criteria considered in arriving at the decision, will be provided to the patient’s clinician.

Invoice Validation

Invoice validation is an important process. It involves using your NHS number to check which CCG is responsible for paying for your treatment. Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 provides a statutory legal basis to process data for invoice validation purposes. We can also use your NHS number to check whether your care has been funded through specialist commissioning, which NHS England will pay for. The process makes sure that the organisations providing your care are paid correctly.

Local Information Sharing

Your GP electronic patient record is held securely and confidentially on an electronic system managed by your registered GP practice. If you require attention from a local health or care professional outside of your usual practice services, such as in an Evening and Weekend GP Access Clinic, GP Federation Service, Emergency Department, Minor Injury Unit or Out Of Hours service, the professionals treating you are better able to give you safe and effective care if some of the information from your GP record is available to them.

Where available, this information can be shared electronically with other local healthcare providers via a secure system designed for this purpose. Depending on the service you are using and your health needs, this may involve the healthcare professional accessing a secure system that enables them to view parts of your GP electronic patient record (e.g. Oxfordshire Care Summary or your Summary Care Record) or a secure system that enables them to view your full GP electronic patient record (e.g. EMIS remote consulting system).

In all cases, your information is only accessed and used by authorised staff who are involved in providing or supporting your direct care. Your permission will be asked before the information is accessed, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. emergencies) if the healthcare professional is unable to ask you and this is deemed to be in your best interests (which will then be logged).

National Fraud Initiative – Cabinet Office

The use of data by the Cabinet Office for data matching is carried out with statutory authority under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998. Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to a Code of Practice.

National Registries

National Registries (such as the Learning Disabilities Register) have statutory permission under Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006, to collect and hold service user identifiable information without the need to seek informed consent from each individual service user.

Risk Stratification

‘Risk stratification for case finding’ is a process for identifying and managing patients who have or may be at-risk of health conditions (such as diabetes) or who are most likely to need healthcare services (such as people with frailty). Risk stratification tools used in the NHS help determine a person’s risk of suffering a particular condition and enable us to focus on preventing ill health before it develops.

Information about you is collected from a number of sources including NHS Trusts, GP Federations and your GP Practice. A risk score is then arrived at through an analysis of your de-identified information. This can help us identify and offer you additional services to improve your health.

Risk-stratification data may also be used to improve local services and commission new services, where there is an identified need. In this area, risk stratification may be commissioned by the Oxfordshire NHS

Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG). Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 provides a statutory legal basis to process data for risk stratification purposes. Further information about risk stratification is available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/tsd/ig/risk-stratification /

If you do not wish information about you to be included in any risk stratification programmes, please let us know. We can add a code to your records that will stop your information from being used for this purpose. Please be aware that this may limit the ability of healthcare professionals to identify if you have or are at risk of developing certain serious health conditions.

Safeguarding

To ensure that adult and children’s safeguarding matters are managed appropriately, access to identifiable information will be shared in some limited circumstances where it’s legally required for the safety of the individuals concerned.

Summary Care Record (SCR)

The NHS in England uses a national electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR) to support patient care. It contains key information from your GP record. Your SCR provides authorised healthcare staff with faster, secure access to essential information about you in an emergency or when you need unplanned care, where such information would otherwise be unavailable.

Summary Care Records are there to improve the safety and quality of your care. SCR core information comprises your allergies, adverse reactions and medications. An SCR with additional information can also include reason for medication, vaccinations, significant diagnoses / problems, significant procedures, anticipatory care information and end of life care information. Additional information can only be added to your SCR with your agreement.

Please be aware that if you choose to opt-out of SCR, NHS healthcare staff caring for you outside of this surgery may not be aware of your current medications, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had, in order to treat you safely in an emergency. Your records will stay as they are now with information being shared by letter, email, fax or phone. If you wish to opt-out of having an SCR please return a completed opt-out form to the practice.

Supporting Medicines Management

Oxfordshire CCG and some Oxfordshire GP Federations operate pharmacist and prescribing advice services to support local GP practices with prescribing queries, which may require identifiable information to be shared. These pharmacists work with your usual GP to provide advice on medicines and prescribing queries, and review prescribing of medicines to ensure that it is appropriate for your needs, safe and cost effective. Where specialist prescribing support is required, the CCG medicines management team may order medications on behalf of your GP Practice to support your care.

Supporting Locally Commissioned Services

CCGs support GP practices by auditing anonymised data to monitor locally commissioned services, measure prevalence and support data quality. The data does not include identifiable information and is used to support patient care and ensure providers are correctly paid for the services they provide.

Suspected Cancer

Data may be analysed in cases of suspected cancer by Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University to facilitate the prevention, early diagnosis and management of illness. Measures are taken to ensure the data for analysis does not identify individual patients.

Data Retention

We manage patient records in line with the Records Management NHS Code of Practice for Health and Social Care which sets the required standards of practice in the management of records for those who work within or under contract to NHS organisations in England, based on current legal requirements and professional best practice.

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
• Specialist Trusts
• GP Federations
• Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
• Private Sector Providers
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Ambulance Trusts
• Clinical Commissioning Groups
• Social Care Services
• Local Authorities
• Education Services
• Fire and Rescue Services
• Police
• Other ‘data processors’

We will never share your information outside of health partner organisations without your explicit consent unless there are exceptional circumstances such as when the health or safety of others is at risk, where the law requires it or to carry out a statutory function.

Within the health partner organisations (NHS and Specialist Trusts) and in relation to the above mentioned themes – Risk Stratification, Invoice Validation, Supporting Medicines Management, Summary Care Record – we will assume you are happy to for your information to be shared unless you choose to opt-out (see below).

This means you will need to express an explicit wish to not have your information shared with the other organisations; otherwise it will be automatically shared. We are required by law to report certain information to the appropriate authorities. This is only provided after formal permission has been given by a qualified health professional. There are occasions when we must pass on information, such as notification of new births, where we encounter infectious diseases which may endanger the safety of others, such as meningitis or measles (but not HIV/AIDS), and where a formal court order has been issued. Our guiding principle is that we are holding your records in strictest confidence.

Your right to withdraw consent for us to share your personal information (Opt-Out)

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 do not want your information to be used for any purpose beyond providing your care you can choose to opt-out. If you wish to do so, please let us know so we can code your record appropriately. We will respect your decision if you do not wish your information to be used for any purpose other than your care but in some circumstances we may still be legally required to disclose your data.

There are two main types of opt-out.

• Type 1 Opt-Out
  If you do not want information that identifies you to be shared outside the practice, for purposes beyond your direct care, you can register a ‘Type 1 Opt-Out’. This prevents your personal confidential information from being used other than in particular circumstances required by law, such as a public health emergency like an outbreak of a pandemic disease.
• Type 2 Opt-Out
  NHS Digital collects information from a range of places where people receive care, such as hospitals and community services. If you do not want your personal confidential information to be shared outside of NHS Digital, for purposes other than for your direct care, you can register a ‘Type 2 Opt-Out’. For further information about Type 2 Opt-Outs, please contact NHS Digital Contact Centre at enquiries@hscic.gov.uk referencing ‘Type 2 Opt-Outs – Data Requests’ in the subject line; or call NHS Digital on (0300) 303 5678.

If you wish to discuss or change your opt-out preferences at any time please contact the Practice Manager.

NHS Digital is developing a new system to give you more control over how your identifiable information is used. We will tell you more once details are released.

Access to your information

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 everybody has the right to see, or have a copy, of data we hold that can identify you, with some exceptions. You do not need to give a reason to see your data. If you want to access your data you must make the request in writing. Under special circumstances, some information may be withheld. We may charge a reasonable fee for the administration of the request.

If you wish to have a copy of the information we hold about you, please contact the Practice Manager.

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 are incorrect in order for this to be amended. Please inform us of any changes so our records for you are accurate and up to date.

Mobile telephone number

If you provide us with your mobile phone number we may use this to send you reminders about your appointments or other health screening information. Please let us know if you do not wish to receive reminders on your mobile.

Notification

The Data Protection Act 1998 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: http://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.

Complaints

If you have concerns or are unhappy about any of our services, please contact the Practice Manager. 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: www.ico.gov.uk

Further Information

Further information about the way in which the NHS uses personal information and your rights in that respect can be found here:

• The NHS Care Record Guarantee
  The NHS Care Record Guarantee for England sets out the rules that govern how patient information is used in the NHS, what control the patient can have over this, the rights individuals have to request copies of their data and how data is protected under the Data Protection Act 1998. – http://systems.digital.nhs.uk/infogov/links/nhscrg.pdf
• 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 programmes available to you, confidentiality, information and your right to complain if things go wrong. – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england
• NHS Digital
  NHS Digital collects health information from the records health and social care providers keep about the care and treatment they give, to promote health or support improvements in the delivery of care services in England. – http://content.digital.nhs.uk/article/4963/What-we-collect

Reviews of and Changes to our Privacy Notice

We will keep our Privacy Notice under regular review.

All GP Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (eg average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each Practice.

The average pay for GPs working for 6 months or more in Church Street Practice in the 2016/17 financial year was £78,041 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 4 full time 4 part time and 1 locum GPs.

A Summary Care Record 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.

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

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record. Those who look at your Summary Care Record need to:

• Be directly involved in caring for you;
• Have a Smartcard with a chip and pass code (like a bank card and PIN).

Healthcare staff will only see the information they need to do their job, and they will ask your permission every time they need to look at your Summary Care Record.

If you were a registered NHS patient in 2013 you have already been informed about this system and given the opportunity to opt out. You have the right to change your mind and can opt in or out by completing the official form from the NHS website or the Practice Data Sharing Options form.

Complete the ‘Data Sharing Options’ form.