Confidentiality and Patient Medical Records

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty yo keep information about you confidential.

We ask you for information so we can provide proper medical care and treatment. We keep this information together with details of your care because it may be needed if we see you again. We may also use this information for other reasons, for example to help us protect the health of the public in general and to see that the NHS runs efficiently. This information helps the NHS for the future, to train its staff, pay its bills and account for its actions. Information may also be needed to help educate tomorrow's clinical staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone.

In exceptional circumstances, the law requires us to pass on specific information, for example where withholding information may put someone's life at risk.

The NHS Central Register for England & Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a General Practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information. You have a right of access to your health records.

When you are receiving care for other people as well as the NHS we may need to share with them some information about you, so that we can work together for your benefit.

We only ever pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone's interests. Whenever we can we will remove details which identify you. The Law strictly controls the sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

How we keep your records confidential?

We have a duty to:

• Maintain full and accurate records of the care we provide to you
• Keep records about you confidential, secure and accurate
• Provide information in a format that is accessible to you (i.e., in large type if you are partially sighted).

We will not share information that identifies you for any reason, unless:

• you ask us to do so;
• we ask and you give us specific permission;
• we have to do this by law;
• we have special permission for health or research purposes or
• we have special permission because the interests of the public are thought to be of greater importance than your confidentiality

Our guiding principle is that we are holding your records in Strict Confidence

Why we collect information about you?

In the National Health Service we aim to provide you with the highest quality of health care. To do this we must keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you.

These records may include:

• Basic details about you, such as address, date of birth, next of kin
• Contact we have had with you such as clinical visits
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details and records about your treatment and care
• Results of x-rays, laboratory test etc.,
• Relevant information from people who care for you and know you well, such as health professionals and relatives

It is good practice for people in the NHS who provide care to:

• Discuss and agree with you what they are going to record about you
• Give you a copy of letters they are writing about you; and
• Show you what they have recorded about you, if you ask. 

How your records are used

The people who care for you use your records to:

• Provide a good basis for all health decisions made by you and care professionals
• Allow you to work with those providing care
• Make sure your care is safe and effective, and
• Work effectively with others providing you with care

Others may also need to use records about you to:

• Check the quality of care (such as clinical audit)
• Protect the health of the general public
• Keep track of NHS spending
• Manage the health service
• Help investigate any concerns or complaints you or your family have about your health care
• Teach health workers and
• Help with research

Some information will be held centrally to be used for statistical purposes. In these instances we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.

We use anonymous information, wherever possible, but on occasions we may use personally identifiable information for essential NHS purposes such as research and auditing. However, this information will only be used with your consent, unless the law requires us to pass on the information. 

You have the right

You have the right to confidentiality under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), the Human Rights Act 1998 and the common law duty of confidence (the Disability Discrimination and the Race Relations Acts may also apply).

You also have the right to ask for a copy of all records about you (you may have to pay a fee)

• Your request must be made in writing to the organisation holding your information
• There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you
• We are required to respond to you within 40 days
• You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth NHS number etc.,)
• You will be required to provide id before any information is released to you.

If you think anything is inaccurate or incorrect, please inform the organisation holding your information.

Notification

The Data Protection Act 1998 requires organisations to notify the Information Commissioner of the purposes for which they process personal information.

The details are publicly available from the Information Commissioner:

Contact the Information Commissioner online

Who are our partner organisations?

We may share information with the following main partner organisations:

• Strategic Health Authorities
• NHS Trusts (Hospitals, PCTs)
• Special Health Authorities
• Ambulance Service

We may also share your information, with your consent and subject to strict sharing protocols about how it will be used, with:

• Social Services
• Education Services
• Local Authorities
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Private Sector

Anyone who receives information from us also has a legal duty to: Keep It Confidential!