CHANGE OF ADDRESS & PERSONAL DETAILS

It is vital that you let us know immediately of any changes to your personal details.

If you change your name, address or telephone number, we can update our records to make sure the information we have for you is accurate and up-to-date.

DATA PROTECTION ACT:-

This practice is computerised and patients' details are held on computer. We are therefore registered under the Data Protection Act 1984 in line with Department of Health Guidelines, the Caldicott Report and the Data Protection Act.

The NHS Central Register for England & Wales contains basic personal information of all patients who are registered with a General practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information. You have a right to access your health records.

SUMMARY CARE RECORDS:-

The Summary Care Record is a summary sent from the GP Practice and contains important information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you have had.
The information will be held securely and accessed only by healthcare staff directly involved in caring for you. You will always be asked for permission before your summary is viewed and any access is audited and recorded.
Healthcare staff will have quicker access to information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had. This means they can provide you with safer care during an emergency, when your GP practice is closed or when you are away from home in another part of England.
You can chose whether or not to have a Summary Care Record and an opt out form is available from the Practice. If you have already informed us that you do not want a Summary Care Record created then this will have already be recorded and you do not need to tell us again.
For further information and an opt out form please see the SCR website at http://www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk/faqs/
Or telephone the Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020.
If you are happy to have a summary care record no further action is required.
If you do not wish to have a summary care record you need to complete an opt out form available at reception.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT:-

The Freedom of Information Act became law on 30.11.00

A copy of the Act is available from the website, please follow the link

www.ico.gov.uk

Below is an explanation of how your health record may be used

Who are our partner organisations?
We may share information with the following main partner organisations:

• Strategic Health Authorities
• NHS Trusts   (Hospitals, PCTs)
• Special Health Authorities
• Ambulance Service

We may also share your information, with your consent and subject to strict sharing protocols about how it will be used,
 With:

• Social Services
• Education Services
• Local Authorities
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Private Sector

Anyone who receives information from us also has a legal duty to:KEEP IT CONFIDENTIAL!

In the National Health Service we aim to provide you with the highest quality of health care.  To do this we must keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you. 
These records may include:

• Basic details about you, such as address, date of birth, next of kin
• Contact we have had with you such as  clinical visits
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details and records about your treatment and care
• Results of x-rays, laboratory test etc.,
• Relevant information from people who care for you and know you well, such as health professionals and relatives

It is good practice for people in the NHS who provide care to:

• discuss and agree with you what they are going to record about you
• give you a copy of letters they are writing about you; and
• show you what they have recorded about you, if you ask.

 

 

The people who care for you use your records to:

• Provide a good basis for all health decisions made by you and care professionals
• Allow you to work with those providing care
• Make sure your care is safe and effective, and
• Work effectively with others providing you with care

Others may also need to use records about you to:

• check the quality of care (such as clinical audit)
• protect the health of the general public
• keep track of NHS spending
• manage the health service
• help investigate any concerns or complaints you or your family have about your health care
• teach health workers and
• help with research

Some information will be held centrally to be used for statistical purposes.  In these instances we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.
We use anonymous information, wherever possible, but on occasions we may use personally identifiable information for essential NHS purposes such as research and auditing.  However, this information will only be used with your consent, unless the law requires us to pass on the information.  

You have the right to confidentiality under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), the Human Rights Act 1998 and the common law duty of confidence (the Disability Discrimination and the Race Relations Acts may also apply).

You also have the right to ask for a copy of all records about you (you may have to pay a fee)

• Your request must be made in writing to the organisation holding your information
• There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you
• We are required to respond to you within 40 days
• You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth NHS number etc.,)
• You will be required to provide id before any information is released to you.

If you think anything is inaccurate or incorrect, please inform the organisation holding your information.
Notification
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires organisations to notify the Information Commissioner of the purposes for which they process personal information.

The details are publicly available from the Information Commissioner:
            Wycliffe house
            Water Lane
            Wilmslow
            Cheshire  SK9 5AF
Tel:       01625 545745
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk