How we are using your information - updated March 2023

Health and social care professionals across Coventry and Warwickshire are introducing two new electronic information systems to support with patient care. 

The Integrated Care Record has been developed to bring together all your seperate records from the different organisations involved in your health and social care. Having a more joined-up view will mean that you will get better and potentially faster treatment. 

A seperate electronic information system will also be used to analyse your informat6ion. This helps healthcare professionals to build a better understanding of your health, the circumstances in which you live, your needs, and they type of care you receive. This is know as 'Population Health Management'.

All organisations are committed to keeping patient data safe and always being clear about how it is used. 

Your Choice

You will automatically be opted into sharing your information onto these systems, but you have the right to object at any time. 

Please see the information leaflet below for information on how to opt-out. If you do not have a smartphone and are unable to scan the QR codes, please email cwicb.cwphm@nhs.net 

Update - July 2022 - Targeted Lung Health Checks

The Targeted Lung Health Checks (TLHC) programme is a new and ground-breaking flagship programme of work which forms part of the NHS long term plan. This is currently a pilot programme with a capped population in Coventry and Rugby and is currently being offered to select GP practices in the area. Please see the below privacy policy statement for further information.

Update - May 2022 - Fair Processing Notice

Personal data is shared with information governance-compliant organisations to search and identify individuals entitled to health care in the community, recommended by NHSE, but not provided by Practices. 

Update - 21 October 2021

SHARING YOUR DATA OUTSIDE THE PRACTICE

As a result of improvements in information technology and appropriate information governance standards, it is becoming possible to share your GP records across Coventry & Warwickshire Health & Social Care electronically using the practice clinical system. We will only share this information with your explicit consent, when seeing a health worker so that you are able to allow doctors, nurses and other health and social care services in other health organisations to view the information held on your GP records. Therefore, enabling health organisations to provide an appropriate health service required to meet the patients’ needs.

The following are examples of the types of organisations that we are likely to share information with:

• NHS and specialist hospitals, Trusts
• Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
• Private and Voluntary Sector Providers
• Ambulance Trusts
• Clinical Commissioning Groups and Primary Care Networks
• Social Care Services and Local Authorities

Any patient can choose to withdraw their consent to their data being used in this way. When the Surgery is about to participate in any new data-sharing scheme we will make patients aware by displaying prominent notices in the Surgery and on our website. These schemes are only for direct care so you (or your carer) will be present when the information is accessed and will be asked for consent again, before your records are opened.

A patient can object to their personal information being shared with other health care providers and can withhold consent but if this limits the treatment that you can receive then the doctor will explain this to you at the time.

Coventry and Warwickshire

Integrated Care Record (ICR)

An electronic confidential health and care record for people living in Coventry and Warwickshire. Please see below for more information. 

Your Summary Care Record (SCR)

Your Summary Care Record is a short summary of your GP medical records. It tells other health and care staff who care for you about the medicines you take and your allergies. This allows health and care professionals to have better medical information about you when they are treating you at the point of care. 

All patients registered with a GP have a Summary Care Record, unless they have chosen not to have one. The information held in your SCR gives health and care professionals, away from your usual GP practice, access to information to provide you with safer care, reduce the risk of prescribing error and improve your patient experience. 

Your SCR contains basic information about allergies and medications and any reactions you have had to medicines in the past. 

Some patients, including many with long term health conditions, have previously agreed to have additional information shared as part of their SCR. This additional information includes information about significant medical history (past and present), reasons for medications, care plan information and immunisations. 

During the coronavirus pandemic period, your SCR will automatically have additional information included from your GP record unless you have previously told the NHS that you did not want this information to be shared. 

There will also be a temporary change to include COVID-19 specific codes in relation to suspected, confirmed, shielded patient list and other COVID-19 related information within the additional information. 

To Opt-Out of sharing information on your Summary Care Record, please complete the form below and return it to the practice either by hand, post or email. 

Opting out of NHS Digital collecting your data

NHS Digital data collection will start on 01 September 2021.

The NHS needs data about the patients it treats in order to plan and deliver its services and to ensure that care and treatment provided is safe and effective. The General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection will help the NHS to improve health and care services for everyone by collecting patient data that can be used to do this. 

NHS Digital will not collect data from GP practices about patients who have registered a Type 1 Opt-Out. Please see the below document for more information and to complete the Opt-Out form if you do not wish NHS Digital to collect your data. 

Opting out of NHS Digital sharing your data

The new National Data Opt-Out system is online and may replace the Type 1 opt-out form in future. 

If you do not want your confidential patient information to be shared by NHS Digital for purposes except your own care, you can register to opt-out. 

From 01 October 2021, the National Data Opt-Out will also apply to any confidential patient information shared by your GP practice with other organisations for purposes except your individual care. 

For more information on this, and to opt-out, please visit: www.nhs.uk/you-data-matters or phone 0300 3035678.

Data Processing

Please find links below for useful information on how Bennfield Surgery processes your data:

These policies are checked and updated regularly

In order to improve Covid vaccine appointment availability and share local resources effectively all practices in Rugby are using an IT booking system called ‘Accurx’ to allow cross-practice appointment booking.

At the Covid vaccination clinic, your vaccination data is entered into ‘Pinnacle’ which has been commissioned by the government as a national IT solution to allow  instant updating of the National Immunisation Management Service.  This allows the government to obtain real time data on the number of people vaccinated and also any immediate adverse reaction.  NHS England my also use this data to monitor the effectiveness of the vaccine programme.

EMIS, the clincial system we use, has recently changed certain aspects of the way it stores data. Please see the Data Protection Impact Assessment relating to this change below:

Accessible Information Standard

All organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must follow the accessible information standard by law by 31st July 2016.

The aim of the accessible information standard is to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand, and any communication support that they need.

As part of the accessible information standard, organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must do five things.  They must:

• Ask people if they have any information or communication needs, and find out how to meet their needs.
• Record those needs clearly and in a set way.
• Highlight or flag the person’s file or notes so it is clear that they have information or communication needs and how to meet those needs
• Share information about people’s information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so.
• Take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it.

If you need any of the information we send out to you in an alternative format (e.g. large print or easy read) or if you need help with communication with us (e.g. use British sign language or are hard of hearing) then please let us know to enable your records to be updated.  You can telephone us on 01788 540 860

Our accessible information standard policy is available upon request.

Fair Processing Notice

The fair processing notice explains why our practice collects information about you and how that information may be used and shared.

NHS England has indicated that they now intend to extract data from the practice to the 'care.data' system. Information leaflets are available from Reception at the surgery. We also have copies of 'Frequently Asked Questions' which will provide more information. The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) is working with NHS England to deliver the system on behalf of the entire NHS.