Data Sharing

This page explains why information is collected about you, the ways in which this information may be used and who will be collecting it.

Data Share

NHS England aims to link information from all the different places where you receive care, such as hospital, community service and us your GP Surgery. This will allow them to share the care you received in one area with other providers of your medical care.

Information will be held in a secure environment called NHS Digital. The role of NHS Digital is also to ensure that high quality data is used appropriately to improve patient care. NHS Digital has legal powers to collect and analyse data from all providers of NHS care. They are committed, and legally bound, to the very highest standards of privacy and confidentiality to ensure that your confidential information is protected at all times. You can object to your data being used in this way – see below

This data can also be used, with permission, for research purposes. If you do not wish to share data for research, you can opt out:

• You can object to information containing data that identifies you from leaving the Practice. This will prevent identifiable information held in your record from being sent to the Summary Care Record secure environment.
• You can also object to any information containing data that identifies you from leaving NHS Digital. This includes information from all places you receive NHS care, such as hospitals. If you object, confidential information will not leave NHS Digital and will not be used, except in very rare circumstances for example in the event of a public health emergency, for future service planning or for research.

For more information visit www.nhs.uk.

The law requires Doctors to provide some very limited information about certain things. The law says, for example, that Doctors must provide information to local authorities about some infectious diseases, e.g. if you had food poisoning. Very rarely, Doctors may be required to disclose information in order to detect a serious crime. Likewise, a court order can require Doctors to disclose certain information during a court case.

We will never provide your information to anyone else without your explicit consent. Records which you wish to share with other people such as solicitors will be provided to you so that you can review them before your share them.

Benefits of sharing information

Sharing information can help improve understanding, responses to different treatments and potential solutions. Information will also help to:

• Provide better information to out of hours and emergency services
• Prevent Prescribing of medication to which you may already have an allergy
• Make more informed prescribing decisions about drugs and dosages Avoid unnecessary duplication in prescribing
• Increase clinician confidence when providing care
• Results of investigations, such as X-rays and laboratory tests
• Reduce referrals, ambulance journey admissions, tests, time wastage and visits to healthcare premises
• Find out basic details about you, such as address and next of kind

Do I have a choice?

Yes. You have the right to prevent confidential information about you from being shared or used for any purpose other than providing your care, except in special circumstances. If you do not want information that identifies you to be shared outside this Practice, complete the sheet enclosed in this leaflet. This will prevent your confidential information being used other than where necessary by law.

Objecting on behalf of others

If you are a carer and have a Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare then you can object on behalf of the patient who lacks capacity. If you do not hold a Lasting Power of Attorney then you can raise your specific concerns with the patient’s GP.

If you have parental responsibility and your child is not able to make an informed decision for themselves, then you can make a decision about information sharing on behalf of your child. If your child is competent then this must be their decision.

If you wish to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.