Why Does The NHS Collect Information About You?

To Help You

Your doctor and the team of health professionals caring for you keep records about your health and any treatment or care you receive from the NHS. This information will either be written down (manual records), or held on a computer (electronic records). These records are then used to guide and manage the care you receive. This is to make sure that:

• Your doctor, nurse or any other health professional involved in your care has accurate and up to date information to assess your health and decide what care you need when you visit in the future.
• You are invited to receive routine treatment such as immunisations and screening.
• There is a good basis for assessing the type and quality of care you have received. This will lead to better care both for you and for other patients
• Your concerns can be properly investigated if you need to complain about the care you receive.
• If you see another doctor, or are referred to a specialist or another part of the NHS, they can see your medical history.

You may also be receiving care from organisations outside the NHS (like social services). If so we may need to share some information about you so that everyone involved in your care can work together for your benefit. Information about you will only be used or passed on if others involved with your care genuinely need it.

To Help Others

Your information may be used to help protect the health of other people and to help create new services and healthcare methods in the future.

Under the law, your doctor may have to give information to certain organisations.

• Under the 1984 Public Health (Control of Disease) Act and the 1988 Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations doctors have to pass on information that is needed to prevent the outbreak of certain diseases. If you have an infectious disease which might endanger the safety of others (e.g. meningitis or measles but not HIV/AIDS) then your doctors will tell the relevant organisations.
• The 2001 Health and Social Care Act (Section 60) allows certain organisations to ask for essential information from your GP or hospital in order to carry out their work. This is strictly controlled and is only allowed after an application has been made to and approved by the Secretary of State for Health.

Some services need information to support research and follow trends in diseases. This makes sure that:

• Healthcare organisations can plan ahead and provide the right services to the right people.
• Progress can be made in diagnosing and managing diseases.
• Drugs can be made more effective for example, by reducing side effects.

To Help The NHS

Your information is also used to help manage the NHS. It may be used to:

• Review the care given to patients to make sure it is of the highest possible standard.
• Make sure services are planned to meet patients’ needs in the future.
• Investigate complaints, legal claims or important incidents.
• Pay your GP, dentist, optician, pharmacists (chemist) and hospital for the care they give you.
• Check and report on how effective the NHS has been.
• Make sure that the NHS and its services give value for money.