Your Personal Information, What you need to know

eput

your personal

information

What you need to know

This leaet is a guide to what type

of information we hold about you,

why we keep this information, how

we process this information and

how you can access it.

eput

The National Health Service (NHS) aims to provide you

with the highest quality of health care.

To do this, we must keep records about you, your health and

the care we provide or plan to provide.

The Trust takes its information management responsibilities very

seriously including those under the General Data Protection

Regulation, The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and common law

duty of condentiality.

Protecting your privacy / information (including your health

records)

The Trust has a legal duty to maintain the highest level of

condentiality. There are strict rules about keeping records on

computer and on paper so that they are secure and only authorised

people are able to access to them.

What information is kept about me?

Every time you see a doctor or go to hospital, they must keep a record

of the care you receive. Your records include information about your

health, appointments, treatment and test results. This information may

be stored on paper or electronically and may include x– rays, photos

and image slides (MRI and CT).

The information we may keep often includes your personal

• Name

• Address

• Contact details

• Place and date of birth

• Gender

• Age

• Diagnosis / medical / social

history

• NHS number

• GP

• Next of kin / nearest relative

• Ethnicity and rst language

• Disability

• Your medicines, any adverse

reactions, information about

your care and treatment

• Your medical history

• Your family’s medical history (if

applicable)

Why do we need your information?

The people that care for you may use this information to ensure that:

• you receive the care you need;

• doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals involved in your

care have accurate up to date information for assessing your

health and future care needs;

• full information is available should you see another doctor or be

referred to a specialist or another part of the NHS;

• sta are able to review the care they provide to you and make sure

it is of the highest standard;

• complaints and / or claims you may raise against us are

investigated properly.

We will sometimes use your information to:

• check the quality of care we provide to everyone (a clinical audit);

• protect the health of the general public;

• train healthcare and partnership workers;

• carry out research;

• help the NHS plan for the future. Your name and address and other

identifying information will be removed from any information used

in these situations.

Exceptional Situations

In limited circumstances, where we have a legal duty to provide

information about people without seeking their consent, we shall do

so, but we will only provide the minimum of information needed and

will, wherever possible, inform you. These are:

• notication of a birth;

• reporting some infectious diseases;

• reporting gunshot wounds to the police;

• when a court order instructs us to do so;

• when a serious crime has been committed;

• if there is a serious risk to the public or NHS sta;

• to protect children or vulnerable adults who are unable to decide

whether their information should be shared;

• when it is required by the law, e.g. under the Children’s Act 2004;

Criminal Justice Act 1987, etc.

• it is necessary for the purposes of preventative medicine or the

provision of health and social care or treatment, e.g. Health

Information Exchange.

Who we will share your information with?

To make sure you receive all the care and treatment you need, we

may need to share your information with other sta and organisations

which may be involved in your care and treatment.

These could include:

• your GP, pharmacies and dentists;

• hospitals, walk-in centres, out-of-hours doctors;

• community services, such as nurses, midwives and therapists;

• local authority departments, including social services, education

and housing;

• voluntary care organisations;

• private sector organisations, such as private hospitals, care homes

and hospices.

Your Family and Carers

Your condential information will only be shared with a member of

your family with your explicit consent.

What rights do I have?

In most cases, you have the right to:

• ask for a copy of all records held about you (there may be an

administration charge for providing these) in accordance with the

GDPR/ Data Protection Bill (https://gdpr-info.eu/art-15-gdpr/)

• ask for details of anyone who may have made entries in your

records;

• expect your personal information to be kept condential and safe

at all times;

• discuss your information rights with the Trust including disclosure

and withdrawal of consent.

• If you would like to opt out of the data collection and processing

scheme please let your healthcare professional know and your

records will not be collected for use in research. This will not aect

your care in any way.

Can parents or legal guardians see their child’s records?

Currently, parents or legal guardians have the right to have access

their child’s records, if the child is under 16.

A child, under 16, has the right to ask us not to give their parent or

guardian access to their records. This situation will be assessed on a

case by case basis and an assessment will be undertaken to check a

child understands.

Finding better treatment

We are always seeking to improve treatments and carry out research

to nd the most eective ways of achieving this.

You may be asked if you would be willing to take part in research

projects but you do not have to agree if you do not want to.

This type of research must also be approved by a number of relevant

regulatory authorities; for instance, the NHS Research Ethics Service.

A small number of research projects are undertaken that involve a

retrospective review of patient information. Otherwise, the information

shared with researchers will not include personal details so that

patients cannot be identied in any way.

How you can help us to keep your information / health records

accurate?

Let us know when you change address or name.

Keep a note of your unique NHS number.

Tell us if any information in your record is incorrect.

Give your consent so that we can share information about you to

make sure you receive the right healthcare.

Tell us if you change your mind about how we share the information in

your record.

Tell us if your next of kin / nearest relative changes.

Tell us if you no longer wish to share your information with a named

family member.

Data Retention

In line with the Information Governance Handbook – Records

Management Policy sets out roles and responsibilities for records

management and the key operating principles for record keeping

across the Trust.

The Records Management NHS Code or Practice for Health and

Social Care sets the required standards of practice in the management

of records for those who work within or under contract to NHS

organisations in England, based on current legal requirements and

professional best practice.

The Trusts records may not be retained indenitely.

At the end of the retention, records may be disposed of.

In most cases this will mean controlled destruction; a percentage

of records may become archived meaning that they will be retained

indenitely under the Public Records Act.

You have the right to access your health records. If at any time you

would like to know more, or have any concerns about how we use

your information please contact any of the departments listed at the

end of the leaet.

Useful Contacts

Information about EPUT

To request information about EPUT please visit our website at:

www.eput.nhs.uk

or contact us at:

Trust Head Oce

The Lodge

The Lodge Approach

Runwell

Essex

SS11 7XX

Tel: 0300 123 0808

Your Records

Contact the Head of Records

Management at EPUT for more

information about access to records:

Access to Records Team

Mental Health Unit

Basildon Hospital

Nethermayne

Basildon

Essex

SS15 6NL

Tel: 01268 246873 / 246889

Patient Advice and Liaison

Service (PALS) & Complaints:

The Lodge

The Lodge Approach

Runwell

Essex, SS11 7XX

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 0800 085 7935

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have any concerns or need advice about accessing NHS

services, you can speak in condence to the Patient Advice and

Liaison Service on 0800 085 7935 or you can email epunft.pals@

nhs.net

This leaet can be produced in large print, CD, Braille and other

languages on request.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust regards equality

and diversity as integral to the way it works. Our sta will ensure that

everyone is treated fairly and no one is discriminated against on the

basis of their ethnicity, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation and

religion or belief.

with permission.

Production date February 2022

EP0105

Privacy and Condentiality

To nd out more about your information rights, contact:

The Information

Governance Service

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 01268 407737 / 01375

896063

Data Protection Ocer

Email:[email protected]

The Legal Department

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 01268 407724

Or alternatively:

The Information

Commissioner’s Oce

Wyclie House

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Helpline: 08456 30 60 60

Website: www.ico.gov.uk