What this Page Contains
These are the arrangements for the protection of your privacy, what your data is held for and your access to it
General Information
The GPs are registered as Data Controllers with the UK Information Commissioner for the purposes of appropriate data handling of your medical records under the Data Protection Act 1998. Everyday matters regarding data, confidentiality and information release are handled by the Practice Manager, who is the Caldicott guardian.
Information about you with regard to current GP matters in particular is normally only held within the practice on computer or paper record. All GP staff, NHS staff or other persons using your record in pursuance of their duties are guided and bound by strict rules of confidentiality; for GP staff this applies within their terms of employment. Certain services provided by the practice attract payments requiring claims and verification, and NHS staffs routinely check these. We also handle data in accordance with the Data Protection Act for care, treatment, audit, research and teaching, and for release when required by law. Your records may also be disclosed to people outside the primary care team that provides your care, with the express purpose of checking practice compliance with educational standards for trainee doctors.
What if I Object to Disclosure for these Inspection Purposes
You may object at any time to inspection of any part or all of your medical records by inspectors outside the primary care team. Your objection will be totally respected.
How Safe is My Information?
In addition to the staff procedures, there are physical safeguards of paper records with sophisticated fire and intruder detection arrangements, and close attention is paid to minute-by-minute security in the surgery. Computers are protected by passwords. Full computer backup of your records is conducted every night, and disaster recovery protocols are in place in the event of a major system problem, using fireproof storage. Back ups are checked monthly to ensure they are valid and correct, and all computers are health checked monthly and protected by the most sophisticated anti-virus software available. By far the majority of your information at Bourtreehill will be held on one of two computers in the practice.
Can I See My Medical Records or Those of Others?
For your own record – Yes, this is permitted by the Data Protection Act asking the doctor informally is entirely appropriate, and doctor will help make a decision about whether this can be done without going through a more formal process. We will record your request in your notes, and for more complex requests for particular information there will probably be a charge. There are circumstances where we can allow access to the records of others (your children under 16 for instance), but individual cases have particular aspects of consent and we will advise on these.
What if I Think My Records are Wrong?
You have the right to request that incorrect information in your record be corrected. We would seek to agree the changes with you informally, including how the correction will be made, but if this is not possible we can advise you on your options to take the matter up with us so that a formal response can be given to you.
Freedom of Information What are my rights?
You now have the right to request information about most aspects of the practice. If we hold such information, and have no reason to withhold it, we will provide it. Details are in our publication scheme, website details for this can be provided on request. There may be charges involved for the provision of certain information.