Patient Information

Your information and how we keep it confidential

We ask you for information about yourself so that you can receive proper care and treatment. It is very important that the information you give us is accurate and up to date. We keep this information safely, together with details of your care. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

However, you may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS (like Social Services). So that we can all work together for your benefit we may need to share some information about you.

Circumstances when we disclose your information

We will not disclose your information to third parties without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances such as if the health or safety of others is at risk or where the law requires information to be passed on. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you.

Legal requirements

We are required by law to report certain information to the appropriate authorities. This is only provided after formal permission has been given by a qualified health professional. Occasions when we must pass on information include:

• Notification of new births
• Where we encounter infectious diseases which may endanger the safety of others, such as Meningitis or Measles (but not HIV/AIDS)
• Where a formal Court Order has been issued 

How we may use your information

Your information may also be used to help us:

• Look after the health of the general public
• Pay your GP, Dentist and Hospital for the care they provide
• Audit NHS accounts and services
• Investigate complaints and untoward incidents
• Make sure our services can meet patient needs in the future
• Prepare statistics on NHS performance
• Review the care we provide to ensure it is of the highest standard
• Teach and train healthcare professionals
• Conduct health research and development 

Finding out more about your information

The UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 allows you to find out what information is held about you. This is known as the “right of subject access” and applies to your health records. If you want to request a copy you should make a request to the Subject Access Team.

Privacy Notice for Patients and Service Users

Trust's Privacy notice for patients and service users.  This leaflet explains why information about you is collected, how we keep it secure and confidential, how your information may be used and how you may gain access to your own records. 

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Shared Care Record

When you visit your GP or hospital, they can’t see all of your health and care information and you can be answering the same questions about the medicines you take, the treatment you’ve had, and whether you have any allergies.

This is because they all use different computer systems to record your details and as these systems aren’t connected, the health and care organisations looking after you can’t see the information each other holds on you.

That is about to change with the introduction of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Shared Care Record.

COVID-19 has shown how important it is for health and care professionals caring for a person to be able to see their information without delay when needed. The Shared Care Record will make a joined-up approach to health and care much more possible.

A series of videos have been created to explain how the Shared Care Record will work;

• An introduction to the Shared Care Record
• Why Shared Care Record matters
• The Shared Care Record and you

For further information on the shared care record visit the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commission Group website. 

The Caldicott Guardian

A Caldicott Guardian is a senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of patient and service-user information and enabling appropriate information-sharing. Each NHS organisation is required to have a Caldicott Guardian.

The Guardian plays a key role in ensuring that NHS, Councils with Social Services Responsibilities and partner organisations satisfy the highest practical standards for handling patient identifiable information. Acting as the 'conscience' of an organisation, the Guardian actively supports work to enable information sharing where it is appropriate to share, and advises on options for lawful and ethical processing of information.

This role is particularly important in relation to the implementation of the National Programme for IT and the development of Electronic Social Care Records and Common Assessment Frameworks.

The Caldicott Guardian Trust Board lead for Wye Valley NHS Trust is Chizo Agwu, chief medical officer, 01432 355444.

Armed Forces Covenant

The Armed Forces Convenant is about fair treatment. For most of the Armed Forces community, the Covenant is about removing disadvantage; so that they get the same access to services as the civilian community. The Armed Forces Covenant sets out the relationship between the nation, the government and the Armed Forces. It recognises that the whole nation has a moral obligation to members of the Armed Forces and their families, and it establishes how they should expect to be treated.  Trust's committment to honour the Armed Forces Convenant.

Further Information

If you would like to know more about how we use your information or if for any reason, you do not wish your information used in any of the ways described, please speak to the health professionals concerned with your care, the Data Protection Officer, or the Caldicott Guardian.