North Road Suite

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Your Information what you need to know – Privacy (Fair Processing Notice)

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL PRIVACY INFORMATION DURING THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC 2020

Covid-19 and your information – Updated on 8th April 2020

This notice describes how we may use your information to protect you and others during the Covid-19 outbreak. It supplements our main Privacy Notice on this our Practice Website

The health and social care system is facing significant pressures due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Health and care information is essential to deliver care to individuals, to support health and social care services and to protect public health. Information will also be vital in researching, monitoring, tracking and managing the outbreak. In the current emergency it has become even more important to share health and care information across relevant organisations.

Existing law which allows confidential patient information to be used and shared appropriately and lawfully in a public health emergency is being used during this outbreak. Using this law the Secretary of State has required NHS Digital; NHS England and Improvement; Arms Length Bodies (such as Public Health England); local authorities; health organisations and GPs to share confidential patient information to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak. Any information used or shared during the Covid-19 outbreak will be limited to the period of the outbreak unless there is another legal basis to use the data.  Further information is available on gov.uk here and some FAQs on this law are available here.

During this period of emergency, opt-outs will not generally apply to the data used to support the Covid-19 outbreak, due to the public interest in sharing information.  This includes National Data Opt-outs.  However in relation to the Summary Care Record, existing choices will be respected. Where data is used and shared under these laws your right to have personal data erased will also not apply.  It may also take us longer to respond to Subject Access requests, Freedom of Information requests and new opt-out requests whilst we focus our efforts on responding to the outbreak.

In order to look after your health and care needs we may share your confidential patient information including health and care records with clinical and non-clinical staff in other health and care providers, for example neighbouring GP practices, hospitals and NHS 111. We may also use the details we have to send public health messages to you, either by phone, text or email.

During this period of emergency we may offer you a consultation via telephone or videoconferencing. By accepting the invitation and entering the consultation you are consenting to this. Your personal/confidential patient information will be safeguarded in the same way it would with any other consultation.

We will also be required to share personal/confidential patient information with health and care organisations and other bodies engaged in disease surveillance for the purposes of protecting public health, providing healthcare services to the public and monitoring and managing the outbreak.  Further information about how health and care data is being used and shared by other NHS and social care organisations in a variety of ways to support the Covid-19 response is here.  

NHS England and Improvement and NHSX have developed a single, secure store to gather data from across the health and care system to inform the Covid-19 response. This includes data already collected by NHS England, NHS Improvement, Public Health England and NHS Digital. New data will include 999 call data, data about hospital occupancy and A&E capacity data as well as data provided by patients themselves.  All the data held in the platform is subject to strict controls that meet the requirements of data protection legislation.

In such circumstances where you tell us you’re experiencing Covid-19 symptoms we may need to collect specific health data about you.  Where we need to do so, we will not collect more information than we require and we will ensure that any information collected is treated with the appropriate safeguards.

We may amend this privacy notice at any time so please review it frequently. The date at the top of this page will be amended each time this notice is updated.  You can download a copy here: Covid19 suplimentary privacy notice North Road suite

Dr N Chandra – Senior Partner/Caldicott Guardian.

 

 

IMPORTANT UPDATE: THE GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS 

We want to make patients aware that from the 25th May 2018 the ‘General Data Protection Regulations’ (GDPR) will come in to force in the UK  -the Practice wants to  ensure that our patients have the information they need about how their Personal Health Data is processed, stored and shared. The Practice has worked through the new legislation requirements, reviewing and updating our policies and procedures, training our Practice Team members.  You can download the GDPR here: GDPR patient flyer

Personal data issues are experiencing a high degree of media exposure presently and we want to assure patients that ‘Personal Health Data’ under various current legislation’s and under the new GDPR has special protections that must be followed and adhered to. In the coming months there will be a lot of publicity which we hope will be factual rather than media sensationalised and if as a patient you have any concerns we are here to help you and answer your queries. We know from experience that media coverage can cause a great deal of anxiety for patients – please always feel that you can speak to us so we can answer your questions and this will enable us to provide you with the correct information you need to base your decisions upon.

Lynne Bolton – Practice Development Manager/Information Governance Lead. On behalf of Dr Chandra and the NRS Team.

PRIVACY NOTICE AND FAIR PROCESSING INFORMATION

Your Information, Your Rights 

Being transparent and providing accessible information to patients about how we will use your personal information is a key element of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). You can download our patient leaflet here: Privacy and Data Sharing NRS GDPR 2020

 

Privacy information for young people you can download here: childrens privacty notice 2020

GDPR Children’s Poster 1.1 easy read for young people version

The following notice reminds you of your rights in respect of the above legislation and how your GP Practice will use your information for lawful purposes in order to deliver your care and the effective management of the local NHS system.

This notice reflects how we use information for:

  • The management of patient records;
  • Communication concerning your clinical, social and supported care;
  • Ensuring the quality of your care and the best clinical outcomes are achieved through clinical audit and retrospective review;
  • Participation in health and social care research; and
  • The management and clinical planning of services to ensure that appropriate care is in place for our patients today and in the future.

 Data Controller

As your registered GP practice, Dr N Chandra & Partners at North Road Suite is the data controller for any personal data that we hold about you.

 What information do we collect and use?

All personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully, whether is it received directly from you or from a third party in relation to the your care.

We will collect the following types of information from you or about you from a third party (provider organisation) engaged in the delivery of your care:

  • ‘Personal data’ meaning any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified from the data.  This includes, but is not limited to name, date of birth, full postcode, address, next of kin and NHS number.

And

  • ‘Special category / sensitive data’ such as medical history including details of appointments and contact with you, medication, emergency appointments and admissions, clinical notes, treatments, results of investigations, supportive care arrangements, social care status, race, ethnic origin, genetics and sexual orientation.

Your healthcare records contain information about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. from an acute hospital, GP surgery, community care provider, mental health care provider, walk-in centre, social services).  These records may be electronic, a paper record or a mixture of both.  We use a combination of technologies and working practices to ensure that we keep your information secure and confidential.

 Why do we collect this information?

 The NHS Act 2006 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012 invests statutory functions on GP Practices to promote and provide the health service in England, improve quality of services, reduce inequalities, conduct research, review performance of services and deliver education and training.  To do this we will need to process your information in accordance with current data protection legislation to:

  • Protect your vital interests;
  • Pursue our legitimate interests as a provider of medical care, particularly where the individual is a child or a vulnerable adult;
  • Perform tasks in the public’s interest;
  • Deliver preventative medicine, medical diagnosis, medical research; and
  • Manage the health and social care system and services.

 How is the information collected?

 Your information will be collected either electronically using secure NHS Mail or a secure electronic transferred over an NHS encrypted network connection.  In addition physical information will be sent to your practice.  This information will be retained within your GP’s electronic patient record or within your physical medical records.

 Who will we share your information with?

In order to deliver and coordinate your health and social care, we may share information with the following organisations:

  • NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
  • Local GP Practices in order to deliver extended primary care services
  • 111 and Out of Hours Service
  • NHS Commissioning Support
  • Local Social Services and Community Care services
  • Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
  • Private Sector Providers
  • Voluntary Support Organisations commissioned to provide services by North Kirklees CCG
  • Ambulance Trusts
  • Clinical Commissioning Groups
  • Social Care Services
  • NHS Digital
  • 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.

We may also use external companies to process personal information, such as for archiving purposes. These companies are bound by contractual agreements to ensure information is kept confidential and secure.

Your information will only be shared if it is appropriate for the provision of your care or required to satisfy our statutory function and legal obligations.

Your information will not be transferred outside of the European Union.

Whilst we might share your information with the above organisations, we may also receive information from them to ensure that your medical records are kept up to date and so that your GP can provide the appropriate care.

In addition we received data from NHS Digital (as directed by the Department of Health) such as the uptake of flu vaccinations and disease prevalence in order to assist us to improve “out of hospital care”.

 How do we maintain the confidentiality of your records?

 We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information that has been collected lawfully.  Every member of staff who works for an NHS organisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.  We maintain our duty of confidentiality by conducting annual training and awareness, ensuring access to personal data is limited to the appropriate staff and information is only shared with organisations and individuals that have a legitimate and legal basis for access.

Information is not held for longer than is necessary.   We will hold your information in accordance with the Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care 2016.

Consent and Objections

Do I need to give my consent?

The GDPR sets a high standard for consent.  Consent means offering people genuine choice and control over how their data is used. When consent is used properly, it helps you build trust and enhance your reputation.  However consent is only one potential lawful basis for processing information.  Therefore your GP practice may not need to seek your explicit consent for every instance of processing and sharing your information, on the condition that the processing is carried out in accordance with this notice.  Your GP Practice will contact you if they are required to share your information for any other purpose which is not mentioned within this notice.  Your consent will be documented within your electronic patient record.

What will happen if I withhold my consent or raise an objection?

You have the right to write to withdraw your consent to any time for any particular instance of processing, provided consent is the legal basis for the processing.  Please contact your GP Practice for further information and to raise your objection.

Health Risk Screening / Risk Stratification

Health Risk Screening or ‘Risk Stratification’ is a process that helps your GP to determine whether you are at risk of an unplanned admission or deterioration in health.  By using selected information such as age, gender, NHS number diagnosis, existing long term condition(s), medication history, patterns of hospital attendances, admissions and periods of access to community care your GP will be able to judge if you are likely to need more support and care from time to time, or if the right services are in place to support the local population’s needs.

To summarise Risk Stratification is used in the NHS to:

  • Help decide if a patient is at a greater risk of suffering from a particular condition;
  • Prevent an emergency admission;
  • Identify if a patient needs medical help to prevent a health condition from getting worse; and/or
  • Review and amend provision of current health and social care services.

Your GP will use computer based algorithms or calculations to identify their registered patients who are at most risk, with support from the local Commissioning Support Unit and/or a third party accredited Risk Stratification provider.  The risk stratification contracts are arranged by NKCCG in accordance with the current Section 251 Agreement. Neither the CSU nor your local CCG will at any time have access to your personal or confidential data.  They will only act on behalf of your GP to organise the risk stratification service with appropriate contractual technical and security measures in place.

Your GP will routinely conduct the risk stratification process outside of your GP appointment.  This process is conducted electronically and without human intervention.  The resulting report is then reviewed by a multidisciplinary team of staff within the Practice.  This may result in contact being made with you if alterations to the provision of your care are identified.

[A Section 251 Agreement is where the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has granted permission for personal data to be used for the purposes of risk stratification, in acknowledgement that it would overburden the NHS to conduct manual reviews of all patient registers held by individual providers.]

As mentioned above, you have the right to object to your information being used in this way.  However you should be aware that your objection may have a negative impact on the timely and proactive provision of your direct care.  Please contact the Practice Manager to discuss how disclosure of your personal data can be limited.

Sharing of Electronic Patient Records within the NHS

Electronic patient records are kept in most places where you receive healthcare.  Our local electronic systems ‘SystmOne enables’ your record to be shared with organisations involved in your direct care, such as:

  • GP practices
  • Community services such as district nurses, rehabilitation services, telehealth and out of hospital services.
  • Child health services that undertake routine treatment or health screening
  • Urgent care organisations, minor injury units or out of hours services
  • Community hospitals
  • Palliative care hospitals
  • Care Homes
  • Mental Health Trusts
  • Hospitals
  • Social Care organisations
  • Pharmacies

In addition, [NHS England/Scotland/Wales] have implemented the [Summary Care Record/ Emergency Care Summary/ Individual Health Record] which contains information including medication you are taking and any bad reactions to medication that you have had in the past.

In most cases, particularly for patients with complex conditions and care arrangements, the shared electronic health record plays a vital role in delivering the best care and a coordinated response, taking into account all aspects of a person’s physical and mental health.  Many patients are understandably not able to provide a full account of their care, or may not be in a position to do so.  The shared record means patients do not have to repeat their medical history at every care setting.

Your record will be automatically setup to be shared with the organisations listed above; however you have the right to ask your GP to disable this function or restrict access to specific elements of your record.  This will mean that the information recorded by your GP will not be visible at any other care setting.

You can also reinstate your consent at any time by giving your permission to override your previous dissent.

Invoice Validation

[If you have received treatment within the NHS, the local Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) may require access to your personal information to determine which Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for payment for the treatment or procedures you have received.  Information such as your name, address, date of treatment and associated treatment code may be passed onto the CSU to enable them to process the bill.  These details are held in a secure environment and kept confidential.  This information is only used to validate invoices in accordance with the current Section 251 Agreement, and will not be shared for any further commissioning purposes.]

Your Right of Access to Your Records

The Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulations allows you to find out what information is held about you including information held within your medical records, either in electronic or physical format.  This is known as the “right of subject access” (SAR).  If you would like to have access to all or part of your records, you can make a request in writing to the organisation that you believe holds your information.  This can be your GP, or a provider that is or has delivered your treatment and care.  You should however be aware that some details within your health records may be exempt from disclosure, however this will in the interests of your well-being or to protect the identity of a third party. Patients can now have access to their medical records via SystmOnline, you can also take advantage of booking your appointments, order repeat medications, view test results and message the Practice with routine non-urgent messages – just ask any of our staff for details of how to register for online services. Alternatively if you do not have online access and if you would like access to your GP record please submit your request in writing to:

Dr N Chandra & Partners. North Road Suite, 1st Floor Ravensthorpe HC, Netherfield Road, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, WF13 3JY and mark your request for the attention of Elaine Oldroyd.

You can download our information leaflet here: acc med rec pat leaf NRS UPDATED MAY 2018 

Making an application under ‘Subject Access Requests’

Once the data controller has all the required information your request should be fulfilled within one calendar month starting from the date the Practice is in receipt of your request.

(In exceptional circumstances where it is not possible to comply within this period you will be informed of the delay and given a timescale for when your request is likely to be met).

 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 date of birth are 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. You can also change your details by using the change of details form via this website.

Complaints

In the event that your feel your GP Practice has not complied with the current data protection legislation, either in responding to your request or in our general processing of your personal information, you should raise your concerns in the first instance in writing to the Practice Manager at:

Dr N Chandra & Partners. North Road Suite, 1st Floor Ravensthorpe HC, Netherfield Road, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, WF13 3JY and mark your request for the attention of Elaine Oldroyd.

If you remain dissatisfied with our response you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wimslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF – Enquiry Line: 01625 545700 or online at 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 in:

An independent review of information about patients is shared across the health and care system led by Dame Fiona Caldicott was conducted in 2012. The report, Information: To share or not to share? The Information Governance Review, be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-information-governance-review

NHS England – Better Data, Informed Commissioning, Driving Improved Outcomes: Clinical Data Sets provides further information about the data flowing within the NHS to support commissioning.

Please visit the  https://digital.nhs.uk for further information about their work. Information about their responsibility for collecting data from across the health and social care system can be found.

The Information Commissioner’s Office is the Regulator for the Data Protection Act 1998 and offer independent advice and guidance on the law and personal data, including your rights and how to access your personal information. For further information please visit the www.ico.gov.uk

 

 

You can read more about Privacy below to help you make an informed choice about how you want to support your NHS.

download the patient information leaflet here: Patient+handout+Final+v1.0+web

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.

In May 2018, the strict rules about how this data can and cannot be used were strengthened. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

You can choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research and planning.

To find out more visit: https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

For more information about your data rights please visit the Your Data Matters campaign at ico.org.uk

You can choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research and planning.

How your data is used – Your health and care information is used to

  • Improve your individual care.
  • It is also used to help us research new treatments,
  • Decide where to put GP clinics and plan for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital.

Wherever possible we try to use

  • Data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.

What is confidential patient information?

Confidential patient information identifies you and says something about your health, care or treatment. You would expect this information to be kept private.

Information that only identifies you, like your name and address, is not considered confidential patient information and may still be used:

For example,

  • To contact you if your GP practice is merging with another.

Who can use your confidential patient information for research and planning?

  • It is used by the NHS, local authorities,
  • University and hospital researchers, medical colleges and pharmaceutical companies researching new treatments.

Making your data opt-out choice

You can choose to opt out of sharing your confidential patient information for research and planning. There may still be times when your confidential patient information is used: for example:

During an epidemic where there might be a risk to you or to other people’s health. You can also still consent to take part in a specific research project.

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

No, your confidential patient information will still be used for your individual care.

Choosing to opt out will not affect your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.

What should you do next?

You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your confidential patient 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 choice at any time.

To find out more or to make your choice https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

or call 0300 303 5678

National population screening programmes: the information we use and why, and your options

Updated 28 June 2018

1. Public Health England

Public Health England (PHE) exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and to reduce health inequalities. We are an executive agency of the Government, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Our responsibilities include leading the population screening programmes.

2. Population screening programme

Screening is the process of identifying individuals who appear healthy but may be at increased risk of a disease or condition.

Our job is to:

  • work with the NHS to ensure that the right patients are called at the right time for screening, and that everyone who is eligible to be screened is able to access screening services
  • ensure that screening is safe and effective by checking that local services are being provided correctly and investigating any problems
  • making sure the screening programmes are achieving their aim of identifying the diseases and conditions they screen for at an early stage

3. Information used by the NHS to invite people to be screened

If you or your child are eligible for a screening programme, personally identifiable information about you or your child is used to send an invitation to be screened.

This information includes you or your child’s:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • gender
  • NHS Number
  • address

This information mainly comes from the records the NHS holds for everyone who is registered with a GP. For newborn babies we get information from NHS IT systems when an NHS number is made after the baby is born.

Depending on the disease or condition concerned, personally identifiable information about you or your child’s medical history may also be used. This information comes from the medical records held by the NHS. It is used by your local screening service to ensure you or your child are invited for the right screening at the right time.

3.1 Your options – full information can be found by following this link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/patient-confidentiality-in-nhs-population-screening-programmes/nhs-population-screening-confidential-patient-data

 

 

ACR project for patients with diabetes

A programme sponsored by NHS Digital to monitor urine albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) annually for patients with diabetes. This enables patients with diabetes to test their kidney function from home. We will share your contact details with Healthy.io to enable them to contact you and send you a test kit. This will help identify patients at risk of kidney disease and help us agree any early interventions that can be put in place for the benefit of your care. If you do not wish to take part in the service, you have the opportunity to decline when Healthy.io contact you. If you do not wish to receive any further information from Healthy.io then they will delete any data that they hold about you and we will continue to manage your care within the Practice. Further information about this is available at:

https://lp.healthy.io/minuteful_info/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date published: 23rd February, 2017
Date last updated: 14th December, 2021