General Data Protection Regulations: How information about you helps us to provide better care
Confidential information from your medical records is used by the NHS to improve the services offered in order that we can provide the best possible care for everyone. This information along with your postcode and NHS number but not your name, are sent to a secure system where it can be linked with other health information. This allows those planning NHS services or carrying out medical research to use information from different parts of the NHS in a way which does not identify you.
You have a choice. If you are happy for your information to be used in this way you do not have to do anything.
If you have any concerns or wish to prevent this from happening, please speak to practice staff or ask at reception for a copy of the leaflet “How information about you helps us to provide better care”.
We are committed to complying to right of access requests under Data Protection Act 2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
However, the NHS is facing unprecedented challenges relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at the current time. Understandably, our resources have been diverted to support our front-line colleagues who are working tremendously hard to provide care for our patients, and to those in need of our services.
The Information Commissioners Office has recognised the current situation in the NHS ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/icos-blog-on-its-information-rights-work.
We strive to be transparent and to work with an open culture. But at this time, whilst care of our patients and the safety of our staff takes precedent, it is likely that responses to some requests for information or records will be delayed. We apologise for this position in advance, and will endeavour to provide you with as much information as we can, as soon as we are able.
It may therefore take up to the statutory deadline of 3 months in certain cases to respond to Subject Access Requests.
For Freedom of Information requests, the Practice will try and continue to process them as normal, but this will be dependent on the availability of staff.
If you have a complaint linked to how we are dealing with requests, please contact the Practice as noted on our website
Subject Access Request (SAR)
Patients have the right to access their personal data, if you wish to make a written request this can be done through the surgery e-mail address.
East London Fair Processing
www.eastlondonhcp.nhs.uk/aboutus/fair-processing-and-gdpr.htm