The Data Protection Act 1998

USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Information about you can be used only in certain ways. The Data Protection Act is law, which sets this out. The Act contains 8 principles. One of these is that information must be processed "fairly and lawfully". This means that you have a right to know how we intend to use the information that you provide. You can decide how much information you wish to give or withhold. Certain information will, of course, be needed for the Health Service to treat you safely.
 
This means that you have a right to privacy, which is upheld through any use of your personal information by the NHS.

ABOUT THE HEALTH SERVICE

Your General Practitioner
 
This is the doctor (or group of doctors) who will see you and give you your everyday medical care. Sometimes they may need to refer you for additional investigations, treatments or care by other specialists and healthcare workers.

Other Specialists
 
You may be referred to the care of a hospital consultant for investigations, treatments or care by them and other specialists. For example, physiotherapists, nurses, radiographers and pharmacists, who may/will require information to provide your care.
 
On other occasions you will consult specialists such has optometrists, pharmacists and dental practitioners yourself. You will be asked to provide information to enable treatment to be given.

	We do not give any information about you that we hold to anyone, unless it is needed for your treatment and care to manage the service locally, or where you have given permission. Information needed to manage the health service at a national level is made anonymous.

WHAT DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR?

• Our most important use of the information you supply is to give you the safe treatment and care that you need.
    
• To do this we create a record to identify you and maintain your personal details. This may include your name, date of birth, NHS number, address, telephone number, next of kin and the name of the GP you register with.
    
• We may use this information to contact you about your treatment and care.
    
• Your information allows doctors, nurses and other clinical practitioners who are looking after you to:- 

1. Make sure they have the right patient. 
2. Identify what is wrong with you. 
3. Plan a defined course of action for you, ie investigation, treatment care. 
4. Record the events of your illness to enable treatment and to allow other healthcare workers (where appropriate) to assist in your treatment and care. 
5. Evaluate the results of your care to see if any further tests, or treatment is required. 
6. Conduct screening to seek out illness early, or to promote ways for you to stay healthy. 

• Only proper anonymised data will be used for research purposes. Your consent will be required for personal studies to be undertaken and your confidentiality maintained. All NHS research is approved by a group of ethics experts before being allowed to go ahead. 

NOTIFICATION

The Data Protection Act requires organisations to lodge a notification with the Data Protection Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal information. The details are publically available from the Data Protection Commissioner's office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, (Telephone Number 01625 545745, Fax Number 01625 524510). Alternatively, see the Data Protection Commissioner's website on the internet www.open.gov.uk/dpr/dprhome.

YOU MAY ASK TO SEE THE RECORDS HELD ABOUT YOU

You have a right of access to the information we hold about you on our records. If anything is innaccurate or incorrect, please let us know and we will correct it.

• Your request must be in writing 
• There will be a charge to have a printed copy 

The Data Controller responsible for keeping your data confidential is:-

	Vera Bourn, Practice Manager

REMEMBER

• You will need to give adequate information (eg full name, telephone number, address, date of birth etc) so that your identity can be verified and your records located. 
• There is a 40 day response period allowed. 

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