Confidentiality/Data Protection
You can be assured that anything you discuss with any member of the surgery staff, whether doctor, nurse or receptionist, will remain confidential. Even if you are under 16, nothing will be said to anyone, including parents, other family members, care workers or teachers, without your permission. The only reason why we might want to consider passing on confidential information without your permission would be to protect either you or someone else from serious harm. In this situation, we would always try to discuss this with you first.
If you have any worries or queries about confidentiality, please ask a member of staff.
If you would like to discuss matters of a confidential nature, either with our receptionists or a member of the dispensary team, we can avail of one of the other private rooms that may be available for this purpose.
Data Protection
n order to provide the right level of care, we are required to hold personal information about you on our computer systems and in paper records to help us to look after your health needs, and your doctor is responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping. Please help to keep your record up to date by informing us of any changes to your circumstances.
Confidentiality and Personal Information
Doctors and staff in the practice have access to your medical records to enable them to do their jobs. From time to time information may be shared with others involved in your care if it is necessary. Anyone with access to your record is properly trained in confidentiality issues and is governed by both legal and contractual duty to keep your details private.
All information about you is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental loss.
In some circumstances we may be required by law to release your details to statutory or other official bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public health issues. In other circumstance you may be required to give written consent before information is released – such as for medical reports for insurance, solicitors etc.
To ensure your privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone unless we are sure that we are talking to you. Information will not be disclosed to family, friends or spouses unless we have prior written consent, and we do not, leave messages with others.
You have a right to see your records if you wish. Please ask at reception if you would like further details about our patient information leaflet. An appointment may be required. In some circumstances a fee may be payable.
The Practice has a policy for the protection and use of patient information which is covered under the Data Protection Act/General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018. (See section below for further details on GDPR)
It is necessary for us to ask and hold information regarding you, the patient, in order that you can receive proper care and attention. We are obliged to inform patients that there are occasions when we are required to share this information.
We share information about you with health professionals who are involved in providing you with care and treatment. This is on a need to know basis and, normally, event by event.
Some of your health information (including your name, address, allergies, and medications) is automatically copied to the Northern Ireland Electronic Care Record (ECR). The ECR extracts patient data for every consenting patient to Out of Hours and Accident and Emergency personnel. The aim of the project is to improve treatment by giving Doctors a more detailed breakdown of patient medical history.
Some information about you is shared with national screening campaigns such as Flu and Diabetes eye screening.
Information about you in non-identifiable form is used to check the quality of care provided by the NHS.
Information about you in non-identifiable form may be used for medical research. Where identifiable information may be required we will first seek you consent.
We will share information when the law requires us to do, for instance when we are inspected or reporting certain illnesses or safeguarding vulnerable people.
When new patients register with the practice, the Business Services Organisation must be informed as they maintain a list of basic personal details of all patients registered with the practice.
Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.
You will be asked to sign a form of consent before any records are released to solicitors or other outside bodies that contact us for information.
Under the Data Protection Act/GDPR you are entitled to access your clinical records or any other personal information held about you. Please ask the Practice Manager for details.
GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS(GDPR)
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new law that determines how your personal data is processed and kept safe, and the legal rights you have in relation to your own data.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies from 25th May 2018.
The use and sharing of personal information forms an essential part of the provision of health and care, benefiting individual patients, often necessary for the effective functioning of health and social services and sometimes necessary in the public interest. Nevertheless, your doctor has a strong legal and ethical duty to protect patient information and all information you share with your doctor is kept confidential.
For further details on what GDPR will mean for patients, more information on how the Practice uses your medical records as well as further details on patient rights click on the link below
GDPR PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLETor
To request a copy of our Practice Privacy Notice contact the Practice on 02881648216/02881648292 or email reception1.Z00664@gp.hscni.net. Alternatively you can visit reception at either site or download the policy at this link.