Confidentiality and Medical Records

 

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The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

  • To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
  • To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
  • When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Confidentiality and Medical Records

 

Data Protection Act 1998

All patient information is considered to be confidential and we comply fully with the Data Protection Act. All employees have access to this information in relation to their role and have signed a confidentiality agreement. Information may be shared, in confidence, with other NHS organisations in the interests of patient care.

CCTV is installed internally in public areas and externally for security. Recordings are used entirely at the discretion of the partners including provision of images to the police or other official bodies, and will otherwise comply with the practice's Data Protection registration.

De Montfort Surgery will ensure that employees fully understand all their responsibilities with regard to confidential data.

De Montfort Surgery will also ensure that arrangements are in place for the confidential disposal of any paper waste generated at work or the employees' home.

De Montfort Surgery will monitor and record when it is passing ownership of data to an individual (e.g. for project work or, research and development) and this will be individually and specifically authorised by the Caldicott Guardian. The individual may then need to be separately registered under the Data Protection Act 1998. The practice will otherwise fully comply with all aspects of data security as required under the Act.

De Montfort Surgery will strictly apply the rules of confidentiality and in general will not release patient information to a third party without proper valid and informed consent, unless this is within the statutory exempted categories such as in the public interest, in which case the release of the information and the reasons for it will be individually and specifically documented and authorised by the responsible clinician.

 

Access to Records

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.