Information about your health and care helps the NHS to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments.
You have the right to control how medical information about you is shared, disseminated or sold, for purposes other than your direct medical care – so called secondary uses (or purposes).
Secondary uses include projects involved in risk stratification, population health management, national clinical audits, research, healthcare planning, commissioning of healthcare services by CCGs, commercial and even political uses. You can control your personal confidential information by opting out of data sharing.
There are 2 types of data sharing.
Type 1 Opt Out
A type 1 opt out prevents information from your GP medical record being shared outside a GP practice for purposes other than your direct care. NHS Digital have published some guidance on this new data collection process to help patients.
To make a Type 1 opt out you need to tell us here at the surgery.
Please print and sign an opt out form and send it to the practice so that we can update your data sharing preferences. There are other ways to tell us that you dont want to consent to the secondary use of your GP record: you can call us at the surgery and express your wishes verbally or we can send you an SMS with a link to more information to help you decide and then you can reply to that SMS message if you want to opt out.
Patients can opt out at any time, and they can change their mind. The same form can be used for either request.
To prevent this first extraction on 1st September, patients are advised to inform the GP practice by 25th August to allow time for processing as their Opt-Out will need to be recorded on the practice system by 31st August.
Type 2 Opt Out – now known as National Data Opt-out
A type 2 opt out/National Data Opt-out prevents other information about you ( e.g. hospitals and local authorities) being shared outside NHS Digital for purposes beyond the individual’s direct care. The following link will take you to full current information regarding these opt-outs.
- Who do you notify of your decision to opt out
Do not contact the surgery to make a Type 2 Opt-Out. Type 2 Opt outs are arranged by NHS Digital. If you are aged 13 or older you can go to Make your choice about sharing data from your health records – NHS (www.nhs.uk) and opt out online.
Other ways to make a Type 2 Opt Out
You can also make or change a choice for:
- yourself by phone, email or post
- someone else by email or post
NHS Digital Contact Centre phone number: 0300 303 5678 – Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).
If you’re a parent or legal guardian and you want to opt your children out, you must complete the opt-out form.
Once you’ve completed the form, you can email it to the Contact Centre – enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk
Alternatively, you can post the form to:
National Data Opt Out
Contact Centre
NHS Digital
HM Government
7 and 8 Wellington Place
Leeds
LS1 4AP
What is Ainsdale Medical Centre doing to inform patients of this change?
To make sure that as many patients as possible know about the scheme and have the opportunity to make a choice, we are taking the following steps:
- All staff fully aware to support you with any queries you may have
- Information available in the practice
- Information on social media
- Information on website and links above to NHS websites for further information
