Privacy policy

Privacy Notice 

How we use your personal information

This privacy notice explains why Sothall Medical Centre collects information about you and how that information may be used.

GPs have fair processing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998 as data controllers. This means we ensure your personal confidential data is handled in ways that are transparent and that you would reasonably expect. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 changed the way that personal confidential data are processed, therefore it is important that patients are made aware of, and understand these changes.

The GPs and 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, 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. We use a combination of technology and working practices 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, your home address, carer, legal representative, emergency contact details
  • Any contact the surgery has had with you, your appointments, clinic visits emergency appointments etc.
  • Notes and reports about your health
  • Details about your treatment and the care you received
  • Results of investigations, laboratory tests, x-rays etc. and any
  • 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.

In the event that you may need to be seen at another GP Practice or ‘Hub’ it may be necessary to share your information within and across the Primary Care Network in Sheffield, to ensure that you receive the most appropriate medical attention.

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 endeavor to gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose.

Under the powers of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (HSCA) the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) can request Personal Confidential Data (PCD) from GP Practices without seeking patient consent. The Care Data Programme allows PCD to be collected by the HSCIC to ensure that the quality and safety of services is consistent across the country. Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare providers with the objective of providing you with better care.

Any patient can choose to withdraw their consent to their data being used in this way. When the Practice is about to participate in any new data-sharing scheme we will make patients aware by displaying prominent notices in the surgery and on our website at least four weeks before the scheme is due to start. We will also explain clearly what you have to do to ‘opt-out’ of each new scheme.

To find out more about the wider use of confidential personal information and to register your choice to opt out if you do not want your data to be used in this way, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/

Note: if you do choose to opt out, you can still consent to your data being used for specific purposes. However, if you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. You may however change your choice at any time.

A patient can object to their personal information being shared with other health care providers but this may limit the treatment that you can receive when the surgery is closed.

Children and Young Adults Privacy Notice

Children’s Privacy Notice

Risk Stratification

Risk stratification is a process for identifying and managing patients who are at high risk of requiring emergency or urgent care.

Risk stratification data tools are increasingly being used in the NHS to help determine a person’s risk of suffering a particular condition, preventing an unplanned or (re)admission and identifying a need for preventive intervention. Information about you is collected from a number of sources including NHS Trusts and from this GP Practice. A risk score is then arrived at through an analysis of your de-identified information using software managed by Sheffield CCG, and is only provided back to your GP as data controller in an identifiable form. 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.

Please note that you have the right to opt out of your data being used in this way.

As a patient you can object to your personal information being shared or being part of any data collection at the practice. Please contact the Practice Manager in writing if you have concerns or wish to change your mind and reverse a previous decision about data sharing.

 

Medicines Management

The Practice may conduct Medicines Management Reviews of medications prescribed to its patients. 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 to practices by Sheffield CCG Medicines Management Team.

 

Invoice Validation

If you have received treatment within the NHS your personal information may be shared within a strictly monitored, secure and confidential environment in order to determine which Clinical Commissioning Group should pay for the treatment or procedure you have received.

Information such as your name, address and date of treatment may be passed on to enable the billing process. These details are held in a secure environment and kept confidential. This information will only be used to validate invoices, and will not be shared for any further commissioning purposes

 

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 of our staff and contractors have appropriate and ongoing training to ensure they are aware of their personal responsibilities and have contractual obligations to uphold confidentiality. Authorised staff access personal information where it is necessary for their role and is strictly on a need-to-know basis. Information is only shared with organisations and individuals that have a legitimate and legal basis for access.

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.

 The report, Information: To share or not to share? The Information Governance Review, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-information-governance-review

 

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
  • Out of Hours Service and 111
  • 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

You will be informed who your data will be shared with and in some cases asked for explicit consent for this to happen when this is required.

Use of your Personal Data in Research

The surgery participates in clinic research to further progress the study of clinical medicine.

Further details can be found here:  HEAT Study – The University of Nottingham

Access to personal information

You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to request to access/view or to obtain copies of what information the surgery holds about you and to have it amended or removed should it be inaccurate. This is known as the ‘the right of subject access’. In order to request this, you need to do the following:

  • Complete the following Subject Access Request form and bring it to surgery along with photographic ID Subject Access Request Form
  • If you require information from the hospital please contact them direct
  • 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

Some details in your health records may be exempt from disclosure; however this will be in the interests of your wellbeing or to protect the identity of a third party.

 

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. We would require sight of the official documentation to make amendments (e.g. marriage certificate, utility bill or letter with change of address etc.). 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 ico.org.uk

The Practice is registered with CM Associate’s and our DPO (Data Protection Officer) is Caroline Million – caroline.million@outlook.com 07912 975522  CM Associates, 44 Cliffe Road, Shepley, Huddersfield, HD8 8DF.

 

Who is the Data Controller?

Sothall Medical Centre is registered as the Data Controller and is responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential under the Data Protection Act 1998.

The registration number is Z7523111 and can be viewed online in the public register at http://ico.org.uk/what_we_cover/register_of_data_controllers

 

Consent and Objections

The General Data Practice Regulation is similar to the Data Protection Act 1998 (which the practice already complies with), and provides special protection for patient data and your right to privacy. Where we need your consent to process data, this consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous.

You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

 

Further information

 

Further information about the way in which the NHS uses personal information and your rights in that respect can be found in:

Complaints

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed at Sothall Medical Centre or feel that we have not complied with the current data protection legislation, please contact in writing the Practice Manager, Mr. Michael Lyall. If you are still unhappy following a review by the practice, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) via their website  https://ico.org.uk/

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 in writing as below:

Practice Manager, Mr. Michael Lyall
Sothall Medical Centre
24 Eckington Road
Sothall
Sheffield
S20 1HQ

If you are still unhappy following a review by the Practice you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). www.ico.gov.uktelephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745

The Information Commissioner’s Office is the Regulator for the Data Protection Act 1998 and offer independent advice and guidance on the law and personal data, including your rights and how to access your personal information. For further information please visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website at http://www.ico.gov.uk

May 2018