Privacy Policy
How we use your personal information
This fair processing privacy policy notice explains why the Practice collects information about you and how we use this information.
The professionals who provide you with healthcare maintain records about your health. This includes any treatment or care you have received before (e.g. NHS Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, etc.). These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.
Health records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both. We use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is confidential and secure. Records which this Practice hold about you may include the following information:
- Details about you, such as your address, carer, legal representative, emergency contact details
- Any contact the surgery has had with you such as appointments, clinic visits, etc.
- Notes and reports about your health
- Details about your treatment and care
- Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc.
- Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you
To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public. Information may be used within the practice for a clinical audit to check the quality of the service provided.
Some of this information will be held and used for statistical purposes. When we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.
Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes. The surgery will always gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose.
Risk Stratification tools are used to help determine a person’s risk of suffering a particular condition. Preventing an unplanned or (re)admission and identifying a need for preventive intervention. Information about you is collected from many sources including NHS Trusts and from your GP Practice.
Who are our partner organisations?
We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements, with the following organisations;
- NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
- GPs
- NHS Commissioning Support Units
- Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
- Private Sector Providers
- Voluntary Sector Providers
- Ambulance Trusts
- Clinical Commissioning Groups
- Social Care Services
- Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)
- Local Authorities
- Education Services
- Fire and Rescue Services
- Police & Judicial Services
- Voluntary Sector Providers
- Private Sector Providers
- Other ‘data processors’
We will let you know who is sharing your data and will ask for explicit consent when required.
We may also use external companies to process personal information, such as for archiving purposes. These companies are bound by contractual agreements. This ensures information is confidential and secure.
Access to personal information
You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to request access to information the surgery holds about you. You can have it amended should it be inaccurate. To request this, you need to do the following:
- Your request must be in writing to the practice for information from the hospital. You should write to them directly
- 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 and details of your request so that your identity can be verified and your records located.
Objections / Complaints
Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed, please contact the Practice Manager. If you are still unhappy following a review by the practice, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) www.ico.gov.uk.
If you are happy for your data to be extracted and used for the purposes described in this privacy notice then you do not need to do anything. If you have any concerns about how your data is shared then please contact the practice.
Change of Details
It is important that you tell the person treating you if any of your details such as your name or address have changed. You have a responsibility to inform us of any changes so that our records are accurate and up to date for you.
Notification
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires organisations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information. This information is available on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.gov.uk.
The practice is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
Who is the Data Controller?
The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential is Damian Clark.
Complaints
Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed by the Practice please contact the Practice Manager at the following address:
Carol Gibb
Spire Hospital Bristol
Redland Hill
Durdham Down
Bristol
BS6 6UT
If you are still unhappy following a review by the Practice you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545745