We take great care to keep your medical records, written and electronic, confidential in compliance with the Data Protection Act. We co-operate with the local Health Authority and Primary Care Trust in providing anonymous clinical data for audit, research and planning purposes. Patient records are shared with the NHS national electronic database – please speak to one of the managers if you have any concerns about this.
If you want access to your medical records, please speak to a manager who can discuss your needs and advise.
The Freedom of Information Act
The Freedom of information act became law on the 30th November 2000. The Practice conforms to the requirements of the Act and has produced a publication scheme in accordance with the Act. A copy of the Act is available on the Freedom of Information website.
The Data Protection Act
All our staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the Doctors and Nurses. The Practice is computerised and patients’ details are held on computer. We are therefore registered under the Data Protection Act 1998.
How we use Personal Health
Information In line with Department of Health Guidelines, the Caldicott report and the Data Protection Act, we wish to advise you of how we handle information we hold about our patients.
We ask for information so that you receive proper care and treatment. We keep this information, together with details of your care because it may be needed if we see you again. We may use some of this information for other reasons: for example, to help us protect the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently; to plan for the future; to train staff and account for actions taken. Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information: for example, to notify birth.
The NHS Register for England and Wales contains basic personal information of all patients who are registered with a General Practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information. You have a right of access to your health records.
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.
You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all work together for your benefit, we may need to share some information about you. We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it, in your and everyone’s interest. Whenever we can, we shall remove details that identify you.
The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.
Health Intelligence GP Practice Privacy Notice:
The Practice shares your diabetes related data with the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme operated by Health Intelligence (commissioned by NHS England). This supports your invitation for eye screening (where you are eligible and referred by the Practice) and ongoing care by the screening programme. This data may be shared with any Hospital Eye Services you are under the care of to support further treatment and with other healthcare professionals involved in your care, for example your Diabetologist.
For further information, take a look at Health Intelligence’s Privacy Notice on the diabetic eye screening website: www.desphiow.co.uk”
Further Information
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 for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided and design new services that fit our local patients health needs. Your information may be used by NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group in order to ensure appropriate planning of current and future NHS commissioned services, this data will contain no identifiable information. NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group will only ever use information that has been anonymised and all identifying information removed.