Your information and responding to coronavirus (COVID-19)
The health and social care system is facing significant pressures due to the coronavirus outbreak. In the current emergency, it has become even more important to share health and care information across relevant organisations.
NHS Digital has set out changes in the access healthcare professionals will have to your Summary Care Records records, during the outbreak.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has issued a legal notice to healthcare bodies requiring them to share confidential patient information with other healthcare bodies where this is required to diagnose, control and prevent the spread of the virus and manage the pandemic. This includes sharing Additional Information through Summary Care Records, unless a patient objects to this. There is no longer a requirement for a patient to explicitly consent to their record being shared.
If you have already expressed a preference to only have Core information shared in your Summary Care Record, or to opt-out completely of having a Summary Care Record, these preferences will continue to be respected and this change will not apply to you. For everyone else, the Summary Care Record will be updated to include the Additional Information. This change of requirement will be reviewed after the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
How can be my information be viewed outside of Allerton Medical Centre?
Your health information can be shared both locally and nationally at differing levels of detail. You can opt in and out of these sharing agreements whenever you choose. Details of these schemes are as follows:
Reports and subject access requests
We use a processor, iGPR Technologies Limited (“iGPR”), to assist us with responding to report requests relating to your patient data, such as subject access requests that you submit to us (or that someone acting on your behalf submits to us) and report requests that insurers or other agencies submit to us under the Access to Medical Records Act 1988 in relation to a life insurance policy that you hold or that you are applying for or a claim that you are making. iGPR manages the reporting process for us by reviewing and responding to requests in accordance with our instructions and all applicable laws, including UK data protection laws. The instructions we issue to iGPR include general instructions on responding to requests and specific instructions on issues that will require further consultation with the GP responsible for your care.
For direct care locally in Leeds:
Using SystmOne:
Other organisations in Leeds use the same patient system, called SystmOne. For example, these include the District Nursing team under Leeds Community Healthcare, some specialist clinics based at GP practices.
Allerton Medical Centre can share your medical record with these other NHS organisations when they are providing you with direct care. This is known as Sharing Out. Our practice default setting is to Share Out.
Allerton Medical Centre can view your medical record as entered by those other NHS organisations when they have provided you with direct care. This is known as Sharing In. Our practice default is to Share In.
You can change your sharing preferences at any time by contacting us at the practice or complete this form and return it to us.
Primary Care Networks:
All practices in the UK are members of a Primary Care Network (PCN), which is a group of practices who have chosen to work together and with local community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services to provide care to their patients.
PCNs are built on the core of current primary care services and enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care.
We are members of Chapeltown PCN along with: St Martin’s Practice, Newton Surgery, Westfield Medical Centre, Chapeltown Family Surgery and Woodhouse Medical Practice.
This arrangement means that practices within the same PCN may share data with other practices within the PCN, for the purpose of patient care (such as extended hours appointments and other services). Each practice within the PCN is part of a stringent data sharing agreement that means that all patient data shared is treated with the same obligations of confidentiality and data security.
Leeds Care Record
Patients in Leeds are able to benefit from the sharing of information via the Leeds Care Record. This shares contact details, diagnosis list, medications, allergies, test results, referrals & letters and care plans between health professionals in Leeds. Information is shared by GP practices, the Hospital trusts, Community and Mental Health services, and Social Care.
You have the right to object to your Leeds Care Record being shared by contacting them directly. Details are available via their website.
Download a leaflet on Leeds Care Record.
This is also available in an Easy Read version.
More information about health and care records can be found on the NHS website here: NHS Choices
Nationally for direct care: Summary Care Record – sharing your information for your care across the NHS.
Your core Summary Care Record is created when you register at a GP practice (although you should be given the option to opt in/out during your registration). If you do not express a preference, it is currently assumed that your consent is implied.
The Summary Care Record shares only your contact details, medications and allergies with other healthcare professionals involved in your care.
You can also choose to share a Summary Care Record with Additional Information. This shares contact details, medications, allergies, diagnosis list, care plans, end of life care and immunisations with other healthcare professionals. Sensitive data is excluded. A Summary Care Record with Additional Information will only be created for you if you explicitly choose this option. Only the most up to date information is shared for each category.
Choosing to share a summary care record with additional information is thought to be of great benefit if you are admitted to hospital locally or elsewhere in the UK.
You can opt out of sharing any of your information in a Summary Care Record. If you decide not to share this will not affect your entitlement to care. However, it could result in the delivery of your care being less efficient as other health professionals will not have access to these parts of your medical history.
Further details are available in this leaflet.
This is also available in an Easy Read version.
You can change your mind about your Summary Care Record at any time.
To register or change your Summary Care Record preferences, please complete this form and return it to us.
Nationally: The national data-out. For purposes beyond direct care.
NHS Digital has developed a new system to support the national data opt-out which will give patients more control over how identifiable health and care information is used for reasons other than your individual care and treatment. The system offers patients and the public the opportunity to make an informed choice about whether they wish their personally identifiable data to be used for purposes beyond their direct care such as research and planning purposes.
In the past, you may have already chosen to prevent your identifiable data leaving NHS Digital, known as a Type 2 opt-out. All existing Type 2 opt-outs will be converted to the new national data opt-out and this will be confirmed by a letter to all individuals aged 13 or over with an existing Type 2 in place. It will no longer be possible to change preferences via local GP practices and you opt-out has to be made via the website linked below.
The national data opt-out launched on 25 May 2018.
More information is available via this website.
More information about health and care records in general can be found on the NHS website here: NHS Choices
If you have any queries or concerns about how your information is handled, please do not hesitate to contact Lindsay Gollin, Business Manager for further information.
