When you use our services and attend any of our clinics, surgeries, or are seen at home, information about the care you receive is recorded in your health record. This information may be held in paper or electronic form, within the practice, or sent to the hospital or clinic in which you are being treated. This information is required to make sure that we give you the best possible care and treatment.
Having your information available to others helps us to ensure that you are given the most appropriate care and treatment. This is especially important if you are taking medication and/or have allergies.
The Data Protection Act strictly protects the information that we hold about you and only those people with the appropriate authority have access to any of this information. Everyone working in the NHS or on behalf of us has a legal and ethical duty to keep your information confidential and secure and to seek your consent to its uses.
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the Service Delivery Lead and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so
Your Data Matters to the NHS
Your health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning.
You can choose to stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning. You can also make a choice for someone else like your children under the age of 13.
Your choice will only apply to the health and care system in England. This does not apply to health or care services accessed in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Find out how this data is used and how to opt out on the following link: