Your Personal Health Information
To provide you with the care you need, we hold the details of your consultations, illnesses, tests, prescriptions and other treatments that have been recorded by everyone involved in you care and treatment eg GP, health visitor, practice nurse. This information may be stored on paper or electronically on computer files by practice staff.
We sometimes disclose some of your personal health information to other organisations involved in your care. For example, when your GP refers you to a specialist at the hospital, we will send relevant details about you in a referral letter and receive information back from them about you. Our practice also participates in regional and national programmes such as the cervical cytology screening service and your name, address, date of birth and health number will be given to them in order to send an invitation to you.
We need to use some of your personal health information for administrative purposes. In order to receive payment for services provided to you, we have to disclose basic details about you to the NHS board responsible for this area and to the Common Services Agency for the NHS Scotland. These organisations have a role in protecting public funds and are authorised to check that payments are being made properly. We are required to co-operate with these checks and the disclosure of your data is a necessary part of our provision of NHS healthcare services.
Sometimes, we may participate in studies that are designed to improve the way services are provided to you, or to check that our performance meets required standards. Whenever we take part in activities such as these, we will ensure that, as far as possible, any details that may identify you are not disclosed.
We are sometimes involved in health research. We will not disclose any of your personal health information for these purposes unless you have been informed beforehand, and have given your consent to do so.
Where you need a service jointly provided with a local authority, we will seek your permission before giving them your details.
Sometimes we are required by law to pass on information to statutory authorities eg the notification of births and deaths, certain diseases and some serious crimes.
Our use of your personal health information is covered by a duty of confidentiality and is regulated by the Data Protection Act. This Act gives you a number of rights in relation to how your personal information is used, including a right to access the information we hold about you. Everyone working within the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential and adheres to a code of practice on protecting patient confidentiality.
Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential. Further information on this subject can be found at www.nhsis.co.uk/confidentiality
If you have any queries or concerns on how we use your health information, or would like to access your information, please contact our business or practice manager.