You and Your Medical Records

East Barnwell Health Centre is committed to providing the best possible patient care, and in order to do this we need to keep electronic and paper medical records for each patient. These records contain

• Your personal information
• A summary of your medical history
• Details of the medication you are taking and have taken in the past as well as a list of medication to which you are allergic
• A list of the immunisations you have had
• Details of all consultations you have had with the doctor or nurse at the surgery either in person or by telephone
• Copies of all correspondence to and from Specialist Consultants that you have seen
• Any other information relevant to helping support the medical care we can provide

This information is needed to help us

• Provide you with your medical care
• Ensure the continuity of your medical care
• To help us review the care that we provide to help make sure it is of the highest standard
• To help ensure we offer you the health promotion advice and assessments to which you are entitled
• To help train and educate future medical staff
• To help us identify future public health needs

We are all committed to protecting your confidentiality and the information contained within your medical records, and we are required to do this within the specifically defined legal framework set out in law. Staff at the surgery will only access the information that they need, to carry out their particular role in providing you with your medical care as described above. We do pass on your personal medical information to other doctors and nurses with your implied consent, when you are being referred for further assessment and advice regarding your medical care.

There are some rare circumstances when we are required by law to divulge your personal medical information without your consent. These may include reporting the birth of a child, reporting some infectious diseases, if required by a court order, or where the public good is deemed to be of greater importance than an individual’s confidentiality e.g. when a serious crime has been committed, when there are serious risks to the public or NHS staff, or to protect children. In these situations we will only divulge the information we are required to give and no more, and we will only give this information to the people with the legal right to receive the information who will also have obligations of confidentiality.

You have the right to request a copy of your medical records. The practice adheres to the BMA guidelines on patients accessing their medical records. If you wish to do so you should make a written request to the surgery. There may be a charge for this.  You should also be aware that in certain circumstances your right to see some details of your medical records may be limited in your own interest. You also have the right to request inaccurate data be corrected.

If you have a concern regarding the processing of your personal data you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at:

ICO, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

East Barnwell Health Centre – Privacy Notice

Covid-19 and your information–Privacy Notice