The main reason we collect personal information is so that you receive appropriate health care and treatment. Your records are confidential and are used in accordance with Data Protection rules. Information may be passed to other people or organisations if it is in your interest. For example:
- If you are receiving care from other people (such as Social Services) as well as from the NHS we may all need to share information so that we can work together for your benefit.
- It has to be passed on by law such as to notify the birth of a baby.
- Your relatives, carers or friends may need to be kept up to date with the progress of your treatment – but only with your consent.
The Practice Data Protection Privacy Notice and How we use your Information Leaflet are available on the leaflets page.
Research and You
This practice is part of the local Clinical Research Network, West Midlands. The Network is funded by the Department of Health to undertake research to improve health care.
What does this mean for you? You may be invited to take part in a research study. Whether or not you take part is entirely up to you, and the decision you take will not affect any of your medical care.
Your medical records and how they are used: We may be asked to share information we hold in medical records as part of the research. We always do this in a way that protects your privacy and gives you the option to opt out of research.
This practice contributes to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Information in patient records is important for medical research to develop new treatments and test the safety of medicines. This practice supports medical research by sending some of the information from patient records to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD).
CPRD data services from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency provide anonymised patient data for research to improve patient and public health. No information that can directly identify you is sent to the CPRD. Limited identifiable information relating to you (your NHS number, sex, date of birth and residence postcode) is sent directly to NHS England to enable data linkage.
If you do not want anonymised information from your patient record to be used in research you can opt out by speaking to your doctor.
For more information about how your data is used visit www.cprd.com/public
Summary Care Records
Your Summary Care Record, which will be used in emergency care, will contain information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had. It will be available to authorised healthcare staff providing your care anywhere in England, but they will ask your permission before they look at it. This means that if you have an Accident or become ill, the doctors treating you will have immediate access to important information about your health.
Unless you have told us you do not wish to have a Summary Care Record created, then this was available from 14 January 2013. If you do not want a Summary Care Record you should complete an Opt Out form which you should return to surgery so that your Summary Care Record is removed. Remember the Summary Care Record is for the benefit of your care.
For more information talk to the GP practice staff or visit the website www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk or telephone the dedicated NHS Summary Care Record Information Line on 0845 603 8510.