Patient notes are always treated with the strictest confidentiality and we comply with the Data Protection Act 2018.
Sharing Information With Others
We do not disclose confidential medical information regarding patients either verbally or in writing without the consent of the individual concerned to anyone else. With this in mind, any patient aged 16 and over must provide consent before we can share their private medical record with another person.
We understand that this may been seen as us being difficult and unhelpful by some, but we must respect and protect our patients’ information. We commonly have requests for information from partners, parents for a child over 16, children of elderly parents, etc. We are not trying to hinder your support; we must abide by the law.
If you are a patient who would like a third party to have access to your medical records please come into the surgery and ask our receptionists for a consent form. Once filled in and returned we will make a note of this in your records.
Personal Health Information
Personal Health Information will only be shared with other medical professionals with your knowledge and consent.
Information requested by non-medical professionals will only be supplied with your written consent.
Sharing Information
Information about you and the care you receive is shared, in a secure system, by healthcare staff to support your treatment and care.
It is important that we, the NHS, can use this information to plan and improve services for all patients. We would like to link information from all the different places where you receive care, such as your GP, hospital and community service, to help us provide a full picture. This will allow us to compare the care you received in one area against the care you received in another, so we can see what has worked best.
Information such as your postcode and NHS number, but not your name, will be used to link your records in a secure system, so your identity is protected. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning health services, to make sure we provide the best care possible for everyone.
How your information is used and shared is controlled by law and strict rules are in place to protect your privacy.
We need to make sure that you know this is happening and the choices you have.