How we use information about you
The purpose of this page is to let you know what information is collected about you and the ways in which this information is used.
It also tells you about your right to see your health records and how to go about getting access to them.
In order to provide the best possible standards of care we need to keep information about you. These records may be written down (manual) but are usually held on a computer (electronic) and the information includes:
- basic details such as name, address, date of birth, NHS number
- records of any treatment you have received from us
- call recordings of contact with Shropdoc
- images sent via our Rash Selfie service
This information is held solely for the purposes of maintaining your care and records are retained in accordance with NHS guidelines. Shropdoc does not have access to your general health records; those are held by your own GP. In some circumstances your GP may choose to provide us with specific information that will be helpful to us in the event that you may require our service out of hours, for example palliative care patients receiving ongoing treatment.
When you contact Shropdoc the information that you give, and details of treatment we give, is recorded electronically. This record is then sent via a secure electronic method to your own GP practice the next working day. This is so they know you have contacted our service and the clinical details of your contact can be included in your general health records.
All telephone calls to Shropdoc are recorded and are used for training, audit and quality monitoring purposes.
Everyone working for Shropdoc has a legal duty (under GDPR 2018) to keep information about you confidential and secure. There must be a clear reason why a member of staff requires access to personal information, and this information will be provided on a strictly need to know basis.
At times it may be necessary to work together with other organisations for your benefit, and it may be necessary to share information about you.
- We will only use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it.
- We will only pass on the minimum information about you that is required to fulfil that need.
- When we pass on any information about you we will ensure it is kept confidential and secure.
- We will not disclose your information to third parties without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as when the health and safety of others is at risk, or where law requires the information to be passed on (for example, a police or coroner’s enquiry).
- All staff working at Shropdoc receive training, in line with their role, on Information Governance. They are also bound by a non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement.
Some of the other ways that information may be used within the NHS are for the purposes of auditing the quality of patient care, investigating complaints and incidents and training staff and healthcare professionals.
Where information is used internally or shared with other NHS organisations for statistical purposes, stringent measures are taken to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.
When a complaint is raised by someone on your behalf we will not investigate or comment on your treatment without your consent.
Occasionally you may be contacted by an external organisation that we have commissioned to carry out a patient survey on your experience of using our service. Recipients are selected at random from our records of recent contacts, and the only information we will pass on to the organisation is your name and address (i.e. no details relating to your treatment).
Your care will not be affected if you prefer us not to use your information for other purposes.
Under GDPR 2018 you have a right of access to your Health Records. At a glance:
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You have the right to access your personal data.
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This is commonly referred to as subject access.
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You can make a subject access request verbally or in writing.
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Shropdoc have one month to respond to a request.
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Shropdoc cannot charge a fee to deal with a request (in most circumstances).
Please contact us if you have an enquiry about any of the issues covered on this page, if you wish to request access to your health records, or if you would like us to arrange for this information to be provided in an alternative format or language.
Email: [email protected]
Web: Information Commissioner's Office - Rights of access
Tel: 01743 454900 (office hours only)
