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.
• Audit NHS accounts and services

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.

We may also share information with the following main partner organisations:

• NHS England and NHS England Local Area Teams
• NHS Trusts (hospitals)
• Special Health Authorities
• Ambulance Service
• Care Quality Commission

If you do not wish information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know. You can complete our Data Sharing Consent Form, or write to Amy Lacey, Patient Services Manager.

The purpose of the Confidentiality Policy is to lay down the principles that must be observed by all who work within NHS England and have access to person-identifiable information or confidential information. All staff need to be aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding confidentiality and preserving information security.

All employees working in the NHS are bound by a legal duty of confidence to protect personal information they may come into contact with during the course of their work. This is not just a requirement of their contractual responsibilities but also a requirement within the common law duty of confidence and the Data Protection Act 1998. It is also a requirement within the NHS Care Record Guarantee, produced to assure patients regarding the use of their information.

It is important that NHS England protects and safeguards person identifiable and confidential business information that it gathers, creates processes and discloses, in order to comply with the law, relevant NHS mandatory requirements and to provide assurance to patients and the public.

Confidential information within the NHS is commonly thought of as health information; however, it can also include information that is private and not public knowledge or information that an individual would not expect to be shared. It can take many forms including patient level health information, employee records, occupational health records, etc.

Your Integrated Care Record

What is it?

The BSW ICR is an electronic health record that combines information from the different organisations involved in your health and care, such as your GP practice, hospitals and social care services and displays it all in one place.

Your Integrated Care Record (ICR) is confidential and secure and helps doctors, nurses and other health and social care professionals involved in your care to make better, safer decisions.

What information is included?

Your ICR contains important information about you, including your contact details, medical history, medications, allergies, test results, hospital admissions, hospital referrals, social care and mental health referrals.

Who can see it?

Only people directly involved in your care will be able to see your data. This may include health and social care staff from GP Practices, hospitals, community trusts, mental health trusts, social care and NHS 111 staff.

For more information please visit bsw.icb.nhs.uk/your-health/your-care-record.