Confidentiality, security and the Data Protection Act

We are always careful to preserve patient confidentiality and keep all medical information as secure as possible. As a patient, you have certain rights with respect to the security of your medical records and any computerised data about you which is held by us; you also have certain rights to access it – please ask for more details of this if required. As a necessary part of the running of the Health Service, GP surgeries are obliged to exchange information about patients with other Health Departments and Government Agencies. Usually this is anonymous but, for certain specific Health Service functions, identifiable information is exchanged. The Data Protection Act gives patients certain rights to know what data is being exchanged and also to be excluded from some data exchanges, including the anonymous ones., If you require any further details about any of these things , please ask to speak to the Practice Manager.