Telephone Call Recording Policy

Why We Record Telephone Calls

We record telephone calls to and from the surgery to help us provide a safe, high‑quality service. Call recordings allow us to:

• Understand and resolve enquiries more effectively
• Support staff training and development
• Protect patients and staff from abuse or inappropriate behaviour
• Review what was said if a concern or complaint is raised
• Improve the way we deliver care and manage our services

Call recording does not replace the clinical record. Any clinical discussion that needs to form part of your medical record will still be documented by the clinician.

How We Tell You a Call Is Being Recorded

When you call the surgery, you will hear an automated message explaining that your call may be recorded.
If you prefer not to have your call recorded, please tell us at the start of the conversation. We will pause the recording and continue the call.

What Calls Are Recorded

We automatically record:

• All external incoming calls
• All outgoing calls made by our staff
• Internal calls between staff if made through the telephony system

Telephone consultations with clinicians are normally documented in your clinical record, not kept as call recordings.

How Your Information Is Used

Recordings may be used to:

• Review the accuracy of information given
• Investigate complaints or incidents
• Support training or service improvement
• Protect staff and patients from abusive behaviour

Recordings are not used for marketing, automated decision‑making, or profiling.

Who Controls Your Data

Data Controller:
Peverell Park Surgery, The Stables Pounds House, Peverell, Plymouth PL2 3PX
Contact number for the Surgery is 01752 766644
Email address is d-icb.administration.peverellpark@nhs.net

Data Protection Officer (DPO):
Data Protection Officer for the practice is Alix who can be contacted via email on d-icb.deltdpo@nhs.net or by post: Delt Shared Services Limited, BUILDING 2 – Delt, Derriford Business Park, Plymouth, PL6 5QZ.

You can contact the DPO if you have concerns about how your data is handled.

Our Lawful Basis for Recording Calls

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we record calls under:

• Article 6(1)(e) – Processing is necessary for a task carried out in the public interest
• Article 9(2)(h) – Processing is necessary for the provision of health or social care

This means we record calls to support safe and effective healthcare delivery.

How Long We Keep Recordings

Call recordings are stored securely by our telephone system provider for 365 days.
After this time, recordings are automatically and permanently deleted, unless we need to keep a specific call for a legitimate reason—for example, to manage an ongoing complaint.

How Your Information Is Stored and Protected

Recordings are stored on a secure, password‑protected system with access restricted to authorised staff only.
We follow NHS and UK GDPR standards to keep your information safe.

Recordings are not normally shared outside the practice, unless required by law (for example, by the police).

Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have the right to:

• Request access to a recording of your call (within 365 days)
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request restriction of the use of your data in some circumstances
• Object to processing where applicable

Requests for copies of telephone conversations can be made under the Data Protection Act as a “Subject Access Request”. This must be done in writing and after assessing whether the information can be released, the requestor can be invited to the practice premises to hear the recording.

How to Make a Complaint

If you are unhappy about how we handle your information, please contact our Manager Partner or DPO first.

You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
📞 0303 123 1113
🌐 https://www.ico.org.uk