Confidentiality

In order to provide you with a high standard of health care and treatment you will be asked for personal information. The practice is fully computerised and computers are used in doctors and nurses consultations and in all areas of practice administration. We have an obligation to keep all such information confidential and to comply fully with the Data protection Act.

No information concerning you will be divulged to a third party without your prior knowledge and consent. We may use some of the information for other reasons: for example to help us protect the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently.

Information may also be needed to help train clinical staff and carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone.

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. We may need to share information about you for your benefit.

We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in yours and everyone’s interest. The law strictly controls the sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information. Whenever we can we remove details which identify you. Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information: for example, to notify birth. Anyone who receives information from us is under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential and you have the right to say no if you do not want information about you given to others.