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Data Protection Act
To provide
you with the care you need, we hold the details of your
consultations, illnesses, tests, prescriptions and other
treatments that have been recorded by everyone involved in your
care and treatment eg GP, Health Visitor, Practice Nurse. This
information may be stored on paper or electronically on computer
files by Practice Staff.
We sometimes disclose some of your personal
health information with other organisations involved in your
care. For example, when your GP refers you to a Specialist at
the hospital we will send relevant details about you in the
referral letter and receive information about you from them. Our
practice also participates in the Regional and national
Programmes such as the cervical cytology screening service and
your name, address, date of birth and health number will be
given to them in order to send an invitation to you.
We need to use some of your personal health information for
administrative purposes. In order to receive payment for
services provided to you, we have to disclose basic details
about you to the NHS Board responsible for this area and to the
Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service. These
organisations have a role in protecting public funds, and are
authorised to check that payments are being properly made. We
are required to co-operate with these checks and disclosure of
your data is a necessary part of our provision of Health Care
Services.
Sometimes, we may participate in studies that
are designed to improve the way services are provided to you or
to check that our performance meets required standards and
benchmarks. Whenever we take part in activities such as these we
will ensure that as far as possible any details that may
identify you are not disclosed.
We are sometimes involved in Health Research and the teaching of
student nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals. We
will not use or disclose your personal health information for
these purposes unless you have been informed beforehand and
given your consent for us to do so.
Where you need a service jointly provided
with a local authority we will seek your permission before
giving them your details.
Sometimes we are required by law to pass on information e.g. the
notification of births and deaths and certain diseases or crimes
to the government is a legal requirement.
Our use of your personal health information is covered by duty
of confidentiality, and is regulated by the Data Protection Act.
The Data Protection Act gives you a number of rights in relation
to how your personal information is used, including the right to
access the information we hold about you.
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep
information about you confidential and adhered to a Code of
Practice on Protecting Patient confidentiality. Further
information on this can be found at
www.nhsis.co.uk/confidentiality. Anyone who received
information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it
confidential.
If you have any queries or concerns on how we use your Personal
Health Information, or would like to access your information,
please contact our Practice Manager.
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