It is impossible to provide the best standards of health care without keeping information about you. This will include your name, address, date of birth and details about your next of kin and medical history. This information is held solely for the purposes of caring for your health. The records are stored both on paper and computer, and may take other forms such as x-rays. We have a legal responsibility to keep all the information held about you confidential. The obligations that the NHS has, together with the rights that every individual enjoys, are set out in the Data Protection Act 1998.
Information about you may need to be shared with others involved in your care from time to time, for example a hospital consultant or a district nurse. The sharing of information is specifically covered by GDPR. The sharing of sensitive, patient-related information is permissible for medical purposes provided that it is processed by: a health professional eg doctor, nurse, health visitor, or a person who, though not a health professional, has responsibility to preserve confidentiality. If you have any questions or need further information on data protection please speak to the practice manager.
Patients have a right to view and have a copy of their paper and computer records. Please contact the surgery.