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   Dr GERARD P. SMYTH      Dr JANE E. CHURCH      Dr SIMON J. WILLS      Dr LOUISE M. LAMONT      Dr STEVE MacFARLANE      Dr RUTH A. SINCLAIR   

Your personal health information

General
Confidentiality
Access to medical records

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To give you the care that you need, we keep information about your health and lifestyle and any illnesses, tests, prescriptions and other treatments that you have had. Your personal health information is stored securely on paper and computer.

We sometimes share your personal health information with other organisations involved in your healthcare. We will only share relevant information, for example if your GP refers you to a specialist at the hospital we only send relevant details about you in the referral letter, and receive information back from them about you. We sometimes share information, including your name, address and date of birth so that you can be included in regional and national programmes, such as the cervical cytology screening service.

We also need to use your personal health information for administrative tasks, but we will only use relevant information. So that we can be paid for services we give you, we share relevant information about you with relevant NHS organisations. These organisations help to check that public money is being spent properly. The practice must allow these checks to be done and we need to share your information to be able to give you healthcare services. We will however ensure, that as far as possible, we do not share any information that could identify you.

Sometimes, we may use information about our patients to help improve our services, or check they are up to standard; we will make sure however that as far as possible we do not share any information that could identify you.

We are sometimes involved in health research and in teaching student nurses, doctors and other NHS staff. We will not disclose your personal health information unless you have given your permission to do so.

Where you need a service that we give jointly with your local authority, we will ask your permission before giving them your information.

Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information to other organisations, for example we have to report, deaths and certain diseases or crimes.

The law sets out how we can use your personal health information by means of the Data Protection Act; which we are registered under, and comply with fully.

If you have any questions about how we use your personal health information please contact our Practice Manager.

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Confidentiality

The GP’s and staff within the practice maintain complete confidentiality at all times; all staff working within the NHS have a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

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Access to medical records

Patients are entitled to see/and have copies of any information in their medical notes, or computerised health record.

Competent patients may apply for access to their own records, or may authorise a third party, such as their lawyer, to do so on their behalf. Parents may have access to their child’s records if this is in the child’s best interests and not contrary to a competent child’s wishes. Proxy decision makers and people appointed by a court to manage the affairs of mentally incapacitated adults may have access to information necessary to fulfil their function. Requests by third party organisations should always contain written permission from the patient concerned.

Information will not be disclosed if it:

• Is likely to cause serious physical or mental harm to the patient or another person, or
• Relates to a third party who has not given consent for disclosure (where that third party is not a health professional who has cared for that patient)

To ensure this the medical record will initially be screened by a GP.

If you wish to see/have a copy of your records you will require to make a formal application to the practice in writing. The practice will respond to your request no later than 21 days.

If you wish to read your medical record in the surgery, then a mutually convenient time will be arranged; a member of staff will be present during that time. If you require a copy of your medical record then you will be changed for this in line with the British Medical Association (BMA) recommended charges.

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