Fair Processing Notice – Sharing Information for Direct Patient Care

How we use your information

At Margaret Thompson Medical Centre, we use information about you to provide safe, effective healthcare and to meet our legal and contractual obligations as an NHS GP practice.

Your information may be recorded on our clinical system and shared with other health and care organisations involved in your care where there is a lawful basis to do so and where this supports your direct care. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, hospitals and community healthcare teams. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

Shared Care Record Access

The practice participates in approved NHS information-sharing arrangements using EMIS Health systems. This enables authorised healthcare professionals involved in your care to view relevant parts of your GP record when providing treatment and healthcare services. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

Information that may be made available includes:

• Personal details such as your name, address, date of birth, NHS number and contact details.
• Medication history.
• Allergies and adverse reactions.
• Diagnoses and medical conditions.
• Care plans and consultation records.
• Investigation results.
• Hospital and specialist correspondence.
• Clinical alerts and risk information relevant to your care. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

Access is restricted to staff who have a legitimate relationship with you and who require the information to provide direct care. All access is auditable and monitored. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

Sharing with Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Community Services

The practice is a party to an information-sharing arrangement with Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Community Services, covering GP practices within NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

This arrangement allows authorised healthcare professionals involved in your care to securely access relevant information held within shared clinical records in order to:

• Support assessment, diagnosis and treatment.
• Improve communication between healthcare professionals.
• Reduce duplication of clinical activity.
• Improve medicines management and prescribing safety.
• Support out-of-hours and community care services.
• Reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
• Deliver integrated, person-centred care. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

Community services covered by this arrangement may include:

• Acute Respiratory Infection Virtual Ward services.
• Familial Hypercholesterolaemia services.
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation services.
• Oxygen services.
• Cardiac and cardiovascular prevention services.
• Heart Failure services.
• Stroke Early Supported Discharge services.
• Targeted Lung Health Checks.
• Other commissioned community services provided by Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

Legal Basis for Processing

The lawful basis for processing personal information for direct care is:

UK GDPR Article 6

Article 6(1)(e) – Public Task

Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in NHS organisations. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

UK GDPR Article 9

Article 9(2)(h) – Health or Social Care

Processing is necessary for the purposes of preventative medicine, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care, treatment, or the management of health and social care systems and services. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

In addition, information is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

Your Choices

Information sharing for direct care is based on your reasonable expectation that healthcare professionals involved in your treatment will have access to the information they need to provide safe care. This is often referred to as implied consent for direct care. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

If you have concerns about the sharing of your information for direct care purposes, please contact the practice. In some circumstances it may be possible to record an objection to certain sharing arrangements, although this may affect the ability of healthcare professionals to provide you with the safest and most effective care. [DSA-058 GP...SA v6.docx | Word]

Your Rights

You have rights under UK data protection legislation, including:

• The right to be informed.
• The right of access to your personal information.
• The right to request correction of inaccurate information.
• The right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
• The right to object in certain circumstances.
• The right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Further Information

If you would like more information about how your information is used, shared or protected, please contact the Practice Manager or Data Protection Officer.