Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.
How your data is used
Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care.
Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.
You have a choice
You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.
Data Opt-out
There are 2 types of Data Opt-out.
Type 1 Opt-out – This prevents details from your GP record being shared outside a GP practice for research/planning purposes.
Patients must complete the below form ‘Data Sharing Type 1 Opt-out form’ and return it to the practice. We can then scan this onto your notes and add the Opt-Out – Dissent code to your record which will stop confidential/identifiable data being shared with NHS Digital for research/planning processes.
National Data Opt-Out – This prevents NHS Digital from sharing any confidential/identifiable data they hold for research/planning purposes. NHS Digital may hold more information that just that collected from your GP surgery as they also receive data from other NHS services such as hospitals.
The practice is unable to register patients decision to ‘opt out’ of this NHS digital data sharing. Patient’s must do this themselves.
Patient must go online to https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/ for more information and to complete their ‘opt out’ preference for this date sharing.
Patients should be aware their data can still be shared with other NHS organisations i.e. hospitals/specific clinics for the purpose of Direct Patient care. Therefore choosing to opt out (both type 1 or national data opt out) will not affect access to health care.
The attached flow-chart may help in understanding the different data flows and ‘opt-out’ purposes.
What do you need to do?
If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.
If you wish to opt-out of either Type 1 data sharing or the national Data opt out (or both) please follow the instructions above.
