Privacy Notice

Your information, what you need to know 

This privacy notice explains why we collect information about you, how that information will be used, how we keep it safe and confidential and what your rights are in relation to this.

Why we collect information about you 

Health care professionals who provide you with care are required by law to maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received.  These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare and help us to protect your safety.

We collect and hold data for the purpose of providing healthcare services to our patients and running our organisation which includes monitoring the quality of care that we provide. In carrying out this role we will collect information about you which helps us respond to your queries or secure specialist services. We will keep your information in written form and/or in digital form.

Our Commitment to Data Privacy and Confidentiality Issues 

As a GP practice, all of our GPs, staff and associated practitioners are committed to protecting your privacy and will only process data in accordance with the Data Protection Legislation.  This includes the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) now known as the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, the Law Enforcement Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/680) (LED) and any applicable national Laws implementing them as amended from time to time.  The legislation requires us to process personal data only if there is a legitimate basis for doing so and that any processing must be fair and lawful.

In addition, consideration will also be given to all applicable Law concerning privacy, confidentiality, the processing and sharing of personal data including the Human Rights Act 1998, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 as amended by the Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015, the common law duty of confidentiality and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations.   

Data we collect about you 

Records which this GP Practice will hold or share about you will include the following: 

• Personal Data – means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person. 
• Special Categories of Personal Data – this term describes personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.    
• Confidential Patient Information – this term describes information or data relating to their health and other matters disclosed to another (e.g. patient to clinician) in circumstances where it is reasonable to expect that the information will be held in confidence.  Including both information ‘given in confidence’ and ‘that which is owed a duty of confidence’. As described in the Confidentiality: NHS code of Practice: Department of Health guidance on confidentiality 2003.
• Pseudonymised - The process of distinguishing individuals in a dataset by using a unique identifier which does not reveal their ‘real world’ identity.
• Anonymised –  Data in a form that does not identify individuals and where identification through its combination with other data is not likely to take place.
• Aggregated - Statistical data about several individuals that has been combined to show general trends or values without identifying individuals within the data.

How we use your information  

Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare organisations for the purpose of providing you, your family and your community with better care.  For example, it is possible for healthcare professionals in other services to access your record with or without your permission when the practice is closed.  Where your record is accessed without your permission it is necessary for them to have a legitimate basis in law. This is explained further in the Local Information Sharing at Appendix A.

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service. Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.  

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

• improving the quality and standards of care provided by the service
• research into the development of new treatments and care pathways
• preventing illness and diseases
• monitoring safety
• planning services
• risk stratification
• Population Health Management 

Safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults

If we have significant concerns or hear about an individual child or vulnerable adult being at risk of harm, we may share relevant information with other organisations, such as local authorities and the Police, involved in ensuring their safety.

Statutory disclosures

Sometimes we are duty bound by laws to disclose information to organisations such as the Care Quality Commission, the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, the General Medical Council, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Counter Fraud services.  In these circumstances we will always try to inform you before we are required to disclose and we only disclose the minimum information that the law requires us to do so

This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information.  All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations.  Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law or with consent. 

Pseudonymised or anonymised data is generally used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified.

A full list of details including the legal basis, any Data Processor involvement and the purposes for processing information can be found in Appendix A.

How long do we hold information for? 

All records held by the Practice will be kept for the duration specified by national guidance from Health and Social Care Records Code of Practice. Once information that we hold has been identified for destruction it will be disposed of in the most appropriate way for the type of information it is.  Personal confidential and commercially confidential information will be disposed of by approved and secure confidential waste procedures. We keep a record of retention schedules within our information asset registers, in line with the Records Management Code of Practice for 2021.

Individuals Rights under UK GDPR 

Under UK GDPR 2016 the Law provides the following rights for individuals.  The NHS upholds these rights in a number of ways:

1. The right to be informed
2. The right of access
3. The right to rectification
4. The right to erasure (not an absolute right) only applies in certain circumstances
5. The right to restrict processing
6. The right to data portability
7. The right to object
8. Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

Your right to opt out of data sharing and processing 

The NHS Constitution states, ‘You have a right to request that your personal and confidential information is not used beyond your own care and treatment and to have your objections considered’. For further information please visit The NHS Constitution  

Type 1 Opt Out 

This is an objection that prevents an individual's personal confidential information from being shared outside of their general practice except when it is being used for the purposes of their individual direct care, or in particular circumstances required by law, such as a public health screening, or an emergency like an outbreak of a pandemic disease. If patients wish to apply a Type 1 Opt Out to their record, they should make their wishes known to the Practice Manager.

National data opt-out  (NDOO)

The national data opt-out was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt-out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs. 

The national data opt-out replaces the previous ‘Type 2’ opt-out, which required NHS Digital not to use a patient’s confidential patient information for purposes beyond their individual care, for Planning or Research. Any patient that had a type 2 opt-out recorded on or before 11 October 2018 has had it automatically converted to a national data opt-out. Those aged 13 or over were sent a letter giving them more information and a leaflet explaining the national data opt-out. For more information go to National data opt out programme

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit NHS: Your Data Matters

On this webpage you will: 

• See what is meant by confidential patient information
• Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care
• Find out more about the benefits of sharing data
• Understand more about who uses the data
• Find out how your data is protected
• Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting
• Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone 
• See the situations where the opt-out will not apply 

Right of Access to your information (Subject Access Request) 

Under Data Protection Legislation everybody has the right of access to, or request a copy of, information we hold that can identify them, this includes medical records. There are some safeguards regarding what patients will have access to and they may find information has been redacted or removed for the following reasons;

• It may be deemed to risk causing harm to the patient or others
• The information within the record may relate to third parties who are entitled to their confidentiality, or who have not given their permission for the information to be shared.

Patients do not need to give a reason to see their data. And requests can be made verbally or in writing.  Although we may ask them to complete a form in order that we can ensure that they have the correct information required.

Where multiple copies of the same information is requested, the surgery may charge a reasonable fee for the additional copies. Patients will need to provide proof of identity to receive this information. We will not share information relating to you with other individuals without your explicit instruction or without sight of a legal document.

Patients may also request to have online access to their data, they may do this via the NHS APP, or via the practice’s system. If you would like to access your GP record, please see our website.

COVID Passport access

Patients may access their Covid passport via the link, the practice cannot provide this document as it is not held in the practice record. If you have any issues gaining access to your Covid Passport or letter you should call: 119

Change of Details 

It is important that you tell the surgery if any of your contact details such as your name or address have changed, or if any of your other contacts details are incorrect including third party emergency contact details.  It is important that we are made aware of any changes immediately in order that no information is shared in error. 

Mobile telephone number 

If you provide us with your mobile phone number, we will use this to send you text reminders about your appointments or other health related information.  It is within our legal duty as a public authority to keep our patients updated with important information.

We also use the NHS Account Messaging Service provided by NHS England to send you messages relating to your health and care. You need to be an NHS App user to receive these messages. Further information about the service can be found at the privacy notice for the NHS App managed by NHS England.

Email address 

Where you have provided us with your email address, we will use this to send you information relating to your health and the services we provide.  If you do not wish to receive communications by email, please let us know.

Notification 

Data Protection Legislation requires organisations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information.

We are registered as a Data Controller and our registration can be viewed online in the public register at Information Commissioner's Office - Register of data protection fee payers

Any changes to this notice will be published on our website and in a prominent area at the Practice. 

Data Protection Officer 

Should you have any data protection questions or concerns, please contact our Data Protection Officer via the surgery

What is the right to know? 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) gives people a general right of access to information held by or on behalf of public authorities, promoting a culture of openness and accountability across the public sector.  You can request any non-personal information that the GP Practice holds, that does not fall under an exemption.  You may not ask for information that is covered by the Data Protection Legislation under FOIA.  However, you can request this under a right of access request – see section above ‘Access to your information’.  

Right to Complaint 

If you have concerns or are unhappy about any of our services, please contact the Practice Manager.  Or via the ICO details listed below.

For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data-sharing issues, you can contact:  

The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House  
Water Lane  
Wilmslow  
Cheshire  
SK9 5AF  

Phone: 0303 123 1113  or visit the ICO website

The NHS Constitution  

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out the rights patients, the public and staff are entitled to.  These rights cover how patients access health services, the quality of care you’ll receive, the treatments and programs available to you, confidentiality, information, and your right to complain if things go wrong. 

Appendix A – The Practice will share your information with these organisations where there is a legal basis to do so. 

NHS Sussex

• Purpose – Anonymous data is used by the ICB for planning and performance as directed in the practices contract. 
• Legal Basis – Contractual 
• Processor – NHS Sussex 

Summary Care Record

• Purpose - The NHS in England uses a national electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR) to support patient care. It contains key information from your GP record. Your SCR provides authorised healthcare staff with faster, secure access to essential information about you in an emergency or when you need unplanned care, where such information would otherwise be unavailable. 
• Legal Basis – Direct Care. Please be aware that if you choose to opt-out of SCR, NHS healthcare staff caring for you outside of this surgery may not be aware of your current medications, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had, in order to treat you safely in an emergency. Your records will stay as they are now with information being shared by letter, email, phone. If you wish to opt-out of having an SCR please return a completed opt-out form to the practice.  
• Processor – NHS England and NHS Digital 

Direct Care

• Purpose – Personal information is shared with other care providers in order to provide you with direct care services. This could be hospitals or community providers for a range of services, including treatment, operations, physio, and community nursing, ambulance service.
• Legal Basis - The processing of personal confidential and special categories of data with be used in the delivery of direct care by this surgery and other providers of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6(1)(e) and Article 9(2)(h) of the GDPR. Where access to a patient’s full record outside of their GP practice is requested the consent of the patient will be required at point of access.
• Processors – Organisations in Sussex providing direct Health or Social Care Services; as well as hospitals and  Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT), these will include other organisation types such as:
  • St. Barnabas House Hospice Trust
  • St Wilfrid's Hospice Trust
  • Sussex MSK Partnership (HERE)
  • Diabetes Care For You (HERE)
  • Alliance for Better Care (ABC)
  • Innovations in Primary Care (IPC)

Research

• Purpose – We may share personal confidential or anonymous information with research companies. Where you have opted out of having your identifiable information shared for this purpose your information will be removed. 
• Legal Basis – consent is required to share confidential patient information for research, unless there is have support under the Health Service (Control of Patient Information Regulations) 2002 (‘section 251 support’) applying via the Confidentiality Advisory Group in England and Wales  
• Processor – Primary Care Research Network/Royal College of General Practitioners

Individual Funding Requests

• Purpose – We may need to process your personal information where we are required to fund specific treatment for you for a particular condition that is not already covered in our contracts. 
• Legal Basis - The clinical professional who first identifies that you may need the treatment will explain to you the information that is needed to be collected and processed in order to assess your needs and commission your care; they will gain your explicit consent to share this. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time 
• Data processor – NHS Sussex

Safeguarding Adults

• Purpose – We will share personal confidential information with the safeguarding team where there is a need to assess and evaluate any safeguarding concerns. 
• Legal Basis - Because of public Interest issues, e.g. to protect the safety and welfare of vulnerable adults, we will rely on a statutory basis rather than consent to process information for this use. 
• Data Processor – Local safeguarding team 

Safeguarding Children

• Purpose – We will share children’s personal information where there is a need to assess and evaluate any safeguarding concerns. 
• Legal Basis - Because of public Interest issues, e.g. to protect the safety and welfare of Safeguarding we will rely on a statutory basis rather than consent to share information for this use. 
• Data Processor – Local safeguarding team - – Front Door for Families

Risk Stratification – Preventative Care

• Purpose - ‘Risk stratification for case finding’ is a process for identifying and managing patients who have or may be at-risk of health conditions (such as diabetes) or who are most likely to need healthcare services (such as people with frailty). Risk stratification tools used in the NHS help determine a person’s risk of suffering a particular condition and enable us to focus on preventing ill health before it develops. Information about you is collected from a number of sources including NHS Trusts, GP Federations and your GP Practice. A risk score is then arrived at through an analysis of your de-identified information.  This can help us identify and offer you additional services to improve your health. If you do not wish information about you to be included in any risk stratification programmes, please let us know. We can add a code to your records that will stop your information from being used for this purpose. Please be aware that this may limit the ability of healthcare professionals to identify if you have or are at risk of developing certain serious health conditions. Type of Data – Identifiable/Pseudonymised/Anonymised/Aggregate Data 
• Legal Basis - GDPR Art. 6(1) (e) and Art.9 (2) (h). The use of identifiable data by ICB’s and GPs for risk stratification has been approved by the Secretary of State, through the Confidentiality Advisory Group of the Health Research Authority (approval reference (CAG 7-04)(a)/2013)) and this approval has been extended to the end of September 2020 NHS England Risk Stratification  which gives us a statutory legal basis under Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 to process data for risk stratification purposes which sets aside the duty of confidentiality. We are committed to conducting risk stratification effectively, in ways that are consistent with the laws that protect your confidentiality. 
• Processors – GP Practice, ICB

Public Health: Screening programmes (identifiable) Notifiable disease information (identifiable) Smoking cessation (anonymous) Sexual health (anonymous) 

• Purpose – Personal identifiable and anonymous data is shared. The NHS provides national screening programmes so that certain diseases can be detected at an early stage. These currently apply to bowel cancer, breast cancer, aortic aneurysms and diabetic retinal screening service. The law allows us to share your contact information with Public Health England so that you can be invited to the relevant screening programme. More information can be found on the government's website or speak to the practice 
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(e); “necessary… in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’ And Article 9(2)(h) as stated below 
• Data Processors  - Public Health England and equivalents in the devolved nations

NHS Trusts – Direct Care

• Purpose – Personal information is shared with other secondary care trusts in order to provide you with direct care services. This could be hospitals or community providers for a range of services, including treatment, operations, physio, and community nursing, ambulance service.  
• Legal Basis - The processing of personal data in the delivery of direct care and for providers’ administrative purposes in this surgery and in support of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6 and 9 conditions as stated below: 
• Processors – Brighton Sussex and University Hospitals, SPFT and SCFT 

Care Quality Commission

• Purpose – The CQC is the regulator for the English Health and Social Care services to ensure that safe care is provided. They will inspect and produce reports back to the GP practice on a regular basis. The Law allows the CQC to access identifiable data. 
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(c) “processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.” And Article 9(2) (h) as stated below 
• Processors – Care Quality Commission 

Payments, Invoice validation

• Purpose - Contract holding GPs in the UK receive payments from their respective governments on a tiered basis. Most of the income is derived from baseline capitation payments made according to the number of patients registered with the practice on quarterly payment days. These amount paid per patient per quarter varies according to the age, sex and other demographic details for each patient. There are also graduated payments made according to the practice’s achievement of certain agreed national quality targets known as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QUOF), for instance the proportion of diabetic patients who have had an annual review. Practices can also receive payments for participating in agreed national or local enhanced services, for instance opening early in the morning or late at night or at the weekends. Practices can also receive payments for certain national initiatives such as immunisation programs and practices may also receive incomes relating to a variety of non patient related elements such as premises. Finally there are short term initiatives and projects that practices can take part in. Practices or GPs may also receive income for participating in the education of medical students, junior doctors and GPs themselves as well as research. In order to make patient based payments basic and relevant necessary data about you needs to be sent to the various payment services. The release of this data is required by English laws. 
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(c) “processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.” And Article 9(2)(h) ‘as stated below 
• Data Processors – NHS England, ICB, Public Health 

Patient Record data base

• Purpose – Your medical record will be shared, in order that a data base can be maintained and managed in a secure way 
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(e); “necessary… in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’ And Article 9(2)(h) as stated below 
• Processor – EMIS 

iGPR (currently n/a)

• Purpose – Your medical record will be shared in order that a report can be provided to agencies such as insurance companies or solicitors 
• Legal Basis – Your consent will be required to share your record for this purpose 
• Processor - iGPR 

AccurRX

• Purpose – Your anonymous information will be shared in order to optimise your medication within your record. This will enable your GP to provide a more efficient medication regime. 
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(e); “necessary… in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’ And Article 9(2)(h) as stated below 
• Processor - FDB 

Medicines Management Team

• Purpose – your medical record is shared with the medicines management team, in order that your medication can be kept up to date and any changes can be implemented. 
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(e); “necessary… in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’ And Article 9(2)(h) as stated below 
• Processor – ICB  

GP Federation – Brighton & Hove Federation | GP Extended Access 

• Purpose – Your medical record will be shared with the Federation  in order that they can provide direct care services to the patient population. This could be in the form of video consultations, Minor injuries clinics, GP extended access clinics. This will be done with your consent. 
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(e); “necessary… in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’ And Article 9(2)(h) as stated below 
• Processor – Brighton & Hove Federation

Primary Care Network – Preston Park Community PCN Ltd

• Purpose – Your contact details, NHS Number and basis for eligibility, for the provision of flu and covid-19 vaccination programmes. 
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(e); “necessary… in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’ And Article 9(2)(h) as stated below 
• Processor – Preston Park Community PCN Ltd

National Screening Programmes

• Purpose - The NHS provides several national health screening programs to detect diseases or conditions earlier such as; cervical and breast cancer, aortic aneurysm and diabetes. More information can be found on the government's website. The information is shared so as to ensure only those who should be called for screening are called and or those at highest risk are prioritised.
• Legal Basis - Article 6(1)(e); “necessary… in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’ And Article 9(2)(h) as stated below
• Processor – Public Health England

NHS 111 COVID-19 Triage response

• Purpose – in order for NHS 111 to triage patient calls with queries regarding Covid-19 during practice closures or times of pressure on the system, enabling the robust process for patients, potentially suffering with covid-19, to be triaged and treated in the most effective and appropriate way. 
• Legal Basis - The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has issued NHS Digital with a Notice under Control of Patient Information Regulations (COPI). This allows NHS Digital to share patient information with organisations entitled to process this under COPI for COVID-19 purposes. This means that for GP Connect, NHSD are creating a single ‘National Sharing Agreement’ on the Spine that contains all GP practices in England. Patients can opt out of their information being shared with GP Connect by contacting their GP practice and requesting a Type 1 Opt out.  Please note that opting out of having information shared may delay or impair the ability for urgent treatment. 
• Processor – NHS Digital, NHS 111  via GP Connect 

General Practice Extraction Service (GPES)

• Purpose – GP practices are required by law to provide data extraction of their patients personal confidential information for various purposes by NHS Digital. The objective of this data collection is on an ongoing basis to identify patients registered at General Practices who fit within a certain criteria, in order to monitor and either provide direct care, or prevent serious harm to those patients. Below is a list of the purposes for the data extraction, by using the link you can find out the detail behind each data extraction and how your information will be used to inform this essential work. You can find the approval certificate and details including individual legal basis for all data extractions on the NHS Digital website
• Legal Basis - All GP Practices in England are legally required to share data with NHS Digital for this purpose under section 259(1)(a) and (5) of the 2012 Act. Any objections to these data collections should be made directly to NHS Digital. 
• Processor – NHS Digital or NHS X 

LeDeR

• Purpose: The Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme was commissioned to improve the standard and quality of care for people with a learning disability
• Legal Basis:  It has approval from the Secretary of State under section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 to process patient identifiable information without the patient’s consent.
• Processor: Bristol University, NECS

Reviews of and Changes to our Privacy Notice 

We will keep our Privacy Notice under regular review. This notice was last reviewed in June 2023. 

Lawful basis for processing

The processing of personal data in the delivery of direct care and for providers’ administrative purposes in this surgery and in support of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6 and 9 conditions of the GDPR: 

• Article 6(1)(e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’; and 
• Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services...”