Background and Introduction
Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board will aim to continually improve efficiencies with the planning, design and delivery of health and care services for our local population from providers – including hospitals, GP practices, ambulance services, social care and nursing homes. We are also responsible for facilitating the delivery of co-ordinated, integrated care to ensure that patients experience improved outcomes and seamless, timely service provision.
With this core objective in mind, My Care Record allows clinicians and other staff directly involved in your care to access information about your health and treatment. The people caring for you will access appropriate and limited health and care records in order to make the best decisions about your diagnosis, treatment and care. These health and care professionals may include GPs, hospital-based clinicians, social workers nurses and health visitors.
For further information please refer to the My Care Record website: www.mycarerecord.org.uk
The following STP members across Hertfordshire and west Essex have been invited to sign up to My Care Record:
- General Practice surgeries
- Hospitals
- Community services
- Out of Hours Services
- Social care
Details of the organisations involved and their Data Protection Officer are listed at the end of this notice.
You can tell your GP if you don’t want them to make your information available to any partner health or social care provider. Your record will be updated accordingly and no information will be available to access. You can change your mind about opting out or at any time.
Categories of Personal Data Processed
Personal Data – see General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Article 6(1)d
Special Category Data – which includes health data – see GDPR Article 9
Lawful Basis for Processing
Health and social care organisations adopt the following as the lawful basis for processing:
- Common Law duty on Confidentiality
- Health and Social Care Act (251B duty to share information is met)
- GDPR) Article 6(1)d – vital interests (breakglass)
- GDPR Article 6(1)e – exercise of official authority
- GDPR Article 9(2)h – health or social care provision
- GDPR Article 9(2)b – social law protection and safeguarding
The common law duty of confidentiality means that where identifiable information about you has been given in confidence, it shall be treated as confidential and only accessed for the purpose of providing direct healthcare.
What information will be accessed under My Care Record?
Your records will include relevant information that you have told us, or information from health professionals and other staff directly involved in your care and treatment or information provided on your behalf by relatives or those who care for you.
These may include:
- Name, address, NHS Number and phone number
- Medications
- Test results and investigations
- Correspondence between healthcare professionals involved in your care
- Clinical history
- Emergency department treatment
- Future and past appointments
- Health plans and alerts
- Mental health alerts and diagnoses
- Social care information
- A social care plan if you have one.
All clinicians and practitioners know that your information should be kept private and confidential. Hence, under My Care Record, information will only be accessed and processed strictly on a “need-to-know” basis.
If there is other information within your records that you do not wish to make available please speak to your GP or health and care professional.
Benefits of My Care Record
The use of such information is integral to you receiving quality treatment and care. This will ensure:
- Better co-ordinated and seamless care
- Quicker diagnosis and treatment
- More time to spend on clinical care
- Less paperwork and less repetition
- Safe and secure decision-making
- Fewer unnecessary clinical tests
- More accurate prescriptions
Record Retention
Personal data is stored securely for the duration specified by the NHS Digital / Information Governance Alliance (IGA) Retention schedule. Once information that is held has been identified for destruction it will be disposed of in the most appropriate way for the type of information it is.
Access to your information
If you require a copy of your own information, please contact your GP practice.
Complaints
The GP practice has a complaints procedure. If you wish to make a complaint please contact the practice. Patients also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding breaches of confidentiality.
For independent advice about data protection, privacy, data sharing issues and your rights you can contact:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane
Wilmslow Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745
Email: [email protected]
Visit the ICO website. https://ico.org.uk/
Access to your information
My Care Record is simply a reflection of your individual records held by the organisations above and therefore you should contact them directly if you wish to have a copy of the information held about you. The contact details for each organisation’s Data Protection Officer or Team is below.
Contact details for Data Protection Officers:
| Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust Watford General HospitalVicarage RoadWatfordHertfordshire. WD18 0HBTel: 01923 244 366 | Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation TrustRecords and Access to Information Team, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, 99 Waverley RoadSt Albans. AL3 5TLTel No: 01727 804707 |
| Hertfordshire Community NHS TrustAccess to records, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust,Unit 1a, Howard Court14 Tewin RoadWelwyn Garden City. AL7 1BWTel: 01707 388000 | Hertfordshire Social CareData Protection TeamHertfordshire County CouncilCHO150County HallPegs LaneHertford. SG13 8DFTel: 0300 123 4040 |