GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations)

Health Record Sharing or opting out – NHS information

Data-Extraction-Information-Leaflet-SM-19

COVID-19 Privacy Notice

GP Connect Privacy Notice

Summary Care Record Transparency Notice

Your Privacy Matters

Data privacy has never been more important, and in light of a regulation that came into effect across the EU on the 25th May 2018, The Strand Medical Group commits to remain to be clear, precise and to use plain language when relating to privacy.

This new law is built around the principles of transparency and control, something The Strand Medical Group has always upheld.

The Strand Medical Group recognises the need for an appropriate balance between openness and confidentiality in the management and use of information. The Strand Medical Group fully supports the principles of corporate governance and recognises its public accountability, but equally places importance on the confidentiality of, and the security arrangements to safeguard, both personal information about patients and staff and commercially sensitive information. The Strand Medical Group also recognises the need to share patient information with other health organisations and other agencies in a controlled manner consistent with the interests of the patient and, in some circumstances, the public interest.

The Strand Medical Group believes that accurate, timely and relevant information is essential to deliver the highest quality health care. As such it is the responsibility of all clinicians and managers to ensure and promote the quality of information and to actively use information in decision-making processes.

The Strand keeps data on you relating to who you are, where you live, what you do, your family, possibly your friends, your employers, your habits, your problems and diagnoses, the reasons you seek help, your appointments, where you are seen and when you are seen, who by, referrals to specialists and other healthcare providers, tests carried out here and in other places, investigations and scans, treatments and outcomes of treatments, your treatment history, the observations and opinions of other healthcare workers, within and without the NHS as well as comments and aide memoirs reasonably made by healthcare professionals in this practice who are appropriately involved in your health care.

GPs have always delegated tasks and responsibilities to others that work with them in their surgeries, on average an NHS GP has between 1,500 to 2,500 patients for whom he or she is accountable. It is not possible for the GP to provide hands-on personal care for each and every one of those patients in those circumstances, for this reason, GPs share your care with others, predominantly within the surgery but occasionally with outside organisations.

If your health needs require care from others elsewhere outside this practice we will exchange with them whatever information about you that is necessary for them to provide that care. When you make contact with healthcare providers outside the practice but within the NHS it is usual for them to send us information relating to that encounter. We will retain part or all of those reports. Normally we will receive equivalent reports of contacts you have with non-NHS services but this is not always the case.

Your consent to this sharing of data, within the practice and with those others outside the practice is assumed and is allowed by the Law.

People who have access to your information will only normally have access to that which they need to fulfill their roles, for instance admin staff will normally only see your name, address, contact details, appointment history, and registration details in order to book appointments, the practice nurses will normally have access to your immunisation, treatment, significant active and important past histories, your allergies and relevant recent contacts whilst the GP you see or speak to will normally have access to everything in your record.

You have the right to object to our sharing your data in these circumstances but we have an overriding responsibility to do what is in your best interests.

If you require more information or would like to view our privacy notices please ask a member of the team. (Privacy notices available from 25th May 2018)

NHS Digital

On occasions we work with NHSE bodies to ensure relevant patient information is available to other health care professionals, this may include Hospitals, pharmacies and other NHS approved bodies. On occasions for purposes of National interest we also share information to NHS Digital, whos official name is the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which was created by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 as an executive non-departmental public body reporting to the Department of Health and Social Care. For more information please follow the link below:

https://digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/our-work/keeping-patient-data-safe/gdpr/gdpr-register?_cldee=YW5keS50aG9tcHNvbjRAbmhzLm5ldA%3d%3d&recipientid=lead-834e43b1db2feb11bf6f000d3a86b8d5-461596a63e1242a7a5b9e81e56a8be0a&esid=b5b9d61e-ab29-eb11-a813-000d3a87467d#l