If you would like to speak to a receptionist privately, please ask at reception.
All patient notes are treated with the strictest confidentiality and we comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. Our staff are very aware of this. We do ask details of visits and emergencies to be disclosed to our staff in order to ensure appropriate use of resources. You have the right to see the records kept about you. Please ask at reception if you have any questions about this.
Members of the Primary Care Agency and qualified teams from local health bodies and the Care Quality Commission come into the practice from time to time to carry out inspections and audits. This is to check that the Practice is offering a robust service that meets all contractual obligations. The practice undergoes regular verification and revalidation checks and some medical records will be inspected at random to facilitate this. If you would rather your notes are not included in this process please inform your doctor.
Your Data Matters to the NHS
Information about your health and care helps the NHS 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.
What should patients do if they do not wish their data to be used for this purpose?
The national data opt-out was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs.
Patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time by using the online service at www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.
If you wish to change your national data opt-out choice, it's helpful if you know your NHS number and please also ensure they you have an up-to-date email address or mobile phone number in your GP practice record, as this will be used to verify your identity when you use this service.
I have already have a type 2 opt out in my record, do I need to do anything else?
Where a patient had a type 2 opt-out registered on or before 11 October 2018, this was automatically converted to a national data opt-out and if they were aged 13 or over they were sent a personal letter explaining the change (PDF, 70KB) and a handout with more information about the national data opt-out.
Where can I go to find out further information?
Download an information leaflet (PDF, 326KB)
Confidentiality For Young People
The policy of confidentiality extends to our younger patients consulting on their own (the basis of this policy is defined in law). Any matter discussed by a younger patient during a consultation will not be disclosed to a third party. We believe that most of our younger patients are competent enough to make an informed choice on their own and we would usually encourage them to discuss matters with their parents. In very rare circumstances if the young person is considered to be at risk, it may be necessary to disclose information to an appropriate third party.
The General Data Protection Regulations
The new General Data Protection Regulation affects any organisation that collects and keeps data about their customers or in our case, patients. We value the confidentiality of our patients and want to be clear about the data we collect, how we use it and your rights to control that information. The GDPR is a set of laws passed in the European Union and which come into effect from 25.5.18. At that date, we have to have an action plan in place to ensure we are working towards meeting all of these standards. We already do a lot of work involving Information Governance due to the nature of the information we keep about our patients so a lot of this is just building on what we have in place already.
If you would like to know anything about how we collect, keep and share your data, we will be happy to provide you with more information. Please keep an eye on our website and in reception where the updated privacy notices will be available to view.
View our Privacy Notice