Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and your information
The ICO recognises the unprecedented challenges the NHS and other health professionals are facing during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The ICO also recognise that ‘Public bodies may require additional collection and sharing of personal data to protect against serious threats to public health.
The Government have also taken action in respect of this and on 20 March 2020 the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care issued a Notice under Regulation 3(4) of The Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 requiring organisations such as GP Practices to use your information to help GP Practices and other healthcare organisations to respond to and deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to look after your healthcare needs during this difficult time, we may urgently need to share your personal information, including medical records, with clinical and non clinical staff who belong to organisations that are permitted to use your information and need to use it to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. This could (amongst other measures) consist of either treating you or a member of your family and enable us and other healthcare organisations to monitor the disease, assess risk and manage the spread of the disease.
Please be assured that we will only share information and health data that is to meet yours and public healthcare needs. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has also stated that these measures are temporary and will expire on 30th September 2020 unless a further extension is required. Any further extension will be will be provided in writing and we will communicate the same to you.
Please also note that the data protection and electronic communication laws do not stop us from sending public health messages to you, either by phone, text or email as these messages are not direct marketing.
It may also be necessary, where the latest technology allows us to do so, to use your information and health data to facilitate digital consultations and diagnoses and we will always do this with your security in mind.
If you are concerned about how your information is being used, please contact our DPO using the contact details provided in this Privacy Notice.
The practice complies with Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances
- To provide further medical treatment for you i.e. hospital referrals
- To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department, this will require your consent
- When we have a duty to others i.e. in child protection cases
Reception and administration staff require access to your medical recordsas do clinical staff and all members of staff are bound by the same confidentiality rules.
See our practice Data Protection Policy and Practice Privacy Notice below for more detailed information about how we keep your information safe. Please contact the Practice Manager at the surgery if you would like to discuss this policy in more detail or would like to receive copies of the appendices mentioned in our policy.
Data Protection Policy is supported by nurnerous Annexes and Apendices which are tailored to specific areas of responsibility; one of which is the Practice Privacy Notice, Annex A. This is supported by the following Appendices:
A1-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 1 – Direct Care, routine care and referrals – Ver 2
A2-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 2 – Direct Care Emergencies – Ver 2
A3-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 3 – National screening programs – Ver 2
A4-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 4 – Care Quality Commission.- Ver 2
A6-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 6 – Research – Ver 2
A7-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 7 – Safeguarding – Ver 2
A8-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 8 – Payment – Ver 2
A9 -Privacy Notice Annex A App 9 -Digital – Ver 2
A10-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 10 – Summary Care Record – Ver 3
A11-Practice Privacy Notice Annex A App 11 – Public Health – Ver 2
O – Employee Confidentiality Policy / Employee Agreement – Ver 2
Our Information Leaflet answers many of your Frequesnty Asked Questions.
Patients can view their medical records through our online Patient Access service or may submit a Subject Access Request; please ask our reception staff for more details.