Home About Practices News VGCs Social Prescribing Covid-19 Research Events PPG Privacy Contact us Login
Your Data - FAQ
What is personal confidential data?
Personal confidential data is a term used in the Caldicott Information Governance Review and describes personal information about identified or identifiable individuals, which should be kept private or confidential and includes dead as well as living people.
The review interpreted ‘personal’ as including the Data Protection Act definition of personal data, but included data relating to deceased as well as living people, and ‘confidential’ includes both information ‘given in confidence’ and ‘that which is owed a duty of confidence’ and is adapted to include ‘sensitive’ as defined in the Data Protection Act.
Examples of identifiable data are:
- name
- address
- postcode
- date of birth
- NHS number
What is personal data?
As per the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, and defined by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Personal data means data which relate to a living individual who can be identified:
(a) From those data, or
(b) from those data and other information which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller, and includes any expression of opinion about the individual and any indication of the intentions of the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual.
What is sensitive personal data?
Sensitive personal data is different from personal data. Sensitive personal data means personal data consisting of information as to:
(a) the racial or ethnic origin of the data subject, (b) their political opinions, (c) their religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature, (d) whether a member of a trade union (within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992), (e) their physical or mental health or condition, (f) their sexual life, (g) the commission or alleged commission of any offence, or (h) any proceedings for any offence committed or alleged to have been committed, the disposal of such proceedings or the sentence of any court in such proceedings
What is secondary care data?
Secondary care data is information we have obtained from local hospitals, other care providers and other external public sources.
What is primary care data?
Primary care data is information that is provided by your GP surgery and other community service providers.
How is direct patient care defined?
Indirect patient care is defined by the Caldicott Review as activities that contribute to the overall provision of services to a population as a whole or a group of patients with a particular condition, but which fall outside the scope of direct care. It covers health services management, preventative medicine, and medical research. Examples of activities would be risk prediction and stratification, service evaluation, needs assessment, financial audit.
How is indirect patient care defined?
Indirect patient care is defined by the Caldicott Review as activities that contribute to the overall provision of services to a population as a whole or a group of patients with a particular condition, but which fall outside the scope of direct care. It covers health services management, preventative medicine, and medical research. Examples of activities would be risk prediction and stratification, service evaluation, needs assessment, financial audit.
Who is a Data Controller?
A Data Controller is a person who (either alone or jointly or in common with other persons) determines the purposes for which and the manner in which any personal data are, or are to be, processed.
Who is the Data Protection Officer (DPO)
A person who has expert knowledge of data protection law and practice. This person report to the highest management level of the organisation. The DPO, advice the organisation on Data Protection compliance and monitoring.
How your records are used to help the wider NHS
Your information may be used to help assess the needs of the general population and make informed decisions about the provision of future services. Information can also be used to conduct health research and development and monitor NHS performance.
Where information is used for statistical purposes, stringent measures are taken to ensure individual patients cannot be identified. Anonymous statistical information may also be passed to organisations with a legitimate interest, including universities, community safety units and research institutions.
Sharing of data National Data Opt Out
There has been news on social media platforms with misinformation about opting out of sharing your data with the NHS.
Here’s what you need to know on this:
- NHS Digital will never sell your data.
- There is no 30 September deadline for opting out of sharing your data. You can go on opt out at any time.
- Shared data helps the NHS. It has been used to find the first treatment for coronavirus and for vaccine research.
- There are strict rules about how NHS can use your data. It’s only being shared securely and safely.
- Shared data helps the NHS. It has been used to find the first treatment for coronavirus and for vaccine research.And then at the bottom of this “If you would like to opt out, please read the information and follow the instructions from the NHS website.