COVID-19 Privacy
View our COVID19 Privacy Notice 18th May 2020
National Data Opt-out FAQs
1. What is the national opt-out?
It is a service that enable the public to register to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for purposes beyond their individual care and treatment. It was introduced for the health and social care system in England on 25th May 2018. The public can change their national data opt-out choice at any time via www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters or by calling NHS Digital contact centre on 0300 3035678 or via the NHS app
2. Which data disclosures do national data opt-outs apply to
National data opt-outs apply to disclosure when an organisation e.eg. a research body confirms they have approval form the confidentiality advisory group )CAG) for the disclosure of confidential patient information held by another organisation responsible for the data (the data controller), such as an NHS trust or a GP Practice.
NHS information poster about Data
Your-Data-Matters-to-the-NHS-poster
Privacy Notice
Download our Privacy information leaflet (Word format)
How we use your personal information
This fair processing notice explains why the GP practice collects information about you and how that information may be used.
The health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. NHS Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, My Health Care and Community Health Care Trusts etc.). These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.
NHS health records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure.
Records which this GP Practice holds about you may include the following information;
- Details about you, such as your address, carer, legal representative, emergency contact details:
- Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency appointments, etc.
- Notes and reports about your health
- Details about your treatment and care
- Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays etc.
- Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you
To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. 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 within the GP practice for:
Clinical Audit to monitor the quality of the service provided.
Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified. Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – the surgery will always gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose.
Risk Stratification
Risk stratification data tools are increasingly being used in the NHS to help determine a person’s risk of suffering a particular condition and for managing patients at a higher risk of emergency hospital admission. Typically this is because patients have a long term condition such as COPD or Cancer. NHS England encourages GPs to use risk stratification tools for supporting patients with long term conditions. Risk stratification enables your GP to focus on preventing ill health and not just the treatment of sickness. If necessary your GP may be able to offer you additional services such as NHS Health Checks for patients aged 40-74 years and Pre Diabetes education sessions for patient with a high HbA1c
Med Management
The Practice does conduct Medicines Management Reviews of medications prescribed to its patients especially those in nursing or residential homes. This service performs a review of prescribed medications to ensure patients receive the most appropriate, up to date and cost effective treatments. This service is provided by the Birmingham & Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group.
How Do We Maintain The Confidentiality Of Your Records?
We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:
- Data Protection Act 1998
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
- Health and Social Care Act 2012
- NHS Codes of Confidentiality, Information Security and Records Management
- Information: To Share or Not to Share Review
Every member of staff who works for an NHS organisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential. All our staff, contractors receives appropriate and on-going training to ensure they are aware of their personal responsibilities and have contractual obligation to uphold confidentiality, enforceable through disciplinary procedures.
We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and / or in accordance with the new information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (Information to share or not to share) where “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.” This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott principles. They should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies.
Who are our partner organisations?
We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations;
- NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
- GP’s
- NHS Commissioning Support Units
- Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
- Private Sector Providers
- Voluntary Sector Providers
- Ambulance Trusts
- Clinical Commissioning Groups
- Social Care Services
- Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)
- Local Authorities
- Education Services
- Fire and Rescue Services
- Police & Judicial Services
- Northern NHS Mail Paragon
- Voluntary Sector Providers
- Private Sector Providers
- NHS Digital & Northgate
- PCN Practices:
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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 happen when this is required.
All GP practices in England are legally required to share data with NHS Digital for this purpose under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (2012 Act). More information about this requirement is contained in the data provision notice issued by NHS Digital to GP practices. You have the choice to opt out if you wish to you need to complete the attached form and send this to your Practice. You can learn more about how NHS Digital uses your data here: General Practice Data for Planning and Research: GP Practice Privacy Notice – NHS Digital
Access to personal information
You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to request access to view or to obtain copies of what information the surgery holds about you and to have it amended should it be inaccurate. In order to request this, you need to do the following:
- Your request must be made in writing to the GP – for information from the hospital you should write direct to them
- There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you
- We are required to respond to you within 28 days
- You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth, NHS number and details of your request) so that your identity can be verified and your records located
Objections / Complaints
Should you have any concerns complaints about how your information is managed at the GP Practice, please contact the Practice or Deputy Manager either in writing at one of the addresses below or by telephone.
Northwood Medical Centre, 10-12 Middleton Hall Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham B30 1BY Tel: 0121 458 1342
Alvechurch Medical Centre, 5 The Square, Alvechurch, Birmingham B48 7LA 0121 445 1084
If you are still unhappy following a review by the GP Practice, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) via their website (www.ico.gov.uk). Telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745
DATA PROTECTION OFFICER (DPO)
Umar Sabat
Data Protection Officer for SDSmyhealthcare
Data Protection Officer for SDSmyhealthcare Practices
West Heath Medical Centre
194-196 West Heath Road
West Heath
Birmingham
B31 3HB
sdsmyhealthcare.ig@nhs.net
If you are happy for your data to be extracted and used for the purposes described in this privacy notice then you do not need to do anything. If you have any concerns about how your data is shared then please contact the practice.
The Practice Website uses cookies
A cookie is a small file, typically of letters and numbers, downloaded onto a device (like your computer or smart phone) when you access certain websites.
Cookies allow a website to recognise a users’ device. Some cookies help websites to remember choices you make (e.g. which language you prefer if you the Google Translate feature). Analytical cookies are to help us measure the number of visitors to a website. There two types we use are ‘Session’ and Persistent’ cookies. Some cookies are temporary and disappear when you close your web browser, others may remain on our computer for a set period of time.
We do not knowingly collect or intend to collect any personal information about you using cookies.
We do not share your personal information with anyone.
What can I do to manage cookies on my devices?
Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how manage and delete them visit: www.allaboutcookies.org.
To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
If you are concerned about cookies and would like to ask further questions please do not hesitate to write to our website developers at support@gpsurgery.net
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 is 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.
Notification
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires organisations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information.
This information is publicly available on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk
The practice is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
Who is the Data Controller?
The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential is: Northwood Medical Centre, 1012 Middleton Hall Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B30 1BY and Alvechurch Medical Centre 5 the Square, Alvechurch, Birmingham, B48 7LA
