THE PROTECTION AND USE OF OUR PATIENTS' INFORMATION

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

You have a right of access to your health records.

We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone's interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you. Law strictly controls the sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information.

The Main Reasons for which your information may be needed are:

? Giving you health care and treatment.

? Helping staff to review the care they provide to make sure it is of the highest standard.

? Training and educating staff (but you can choose whether or not to be involved personally).

? Investigating complaints or legal claims.

? Research. (If anything to do with the research would involve you personally, you will be contacted to see if you are willing.)

? Auditing and accounting.

? Making sure that our services can meet patient needs in the future.

? Preparing statistics on performance and activity (where steps will be taken to ensure you cannot be identified).

? Keeping your relatives, friends and carers up to date with the progress of your care and treatment (if you agree).

We may use some of this information for other reasons: for example, to help us protect the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently, plans for the future, trains its staff and can account for its actions.

The NHS Central Register for England & Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information.

If, at any time, you would like to know more about how we use your information, you can speak to the doctor who knows you best or to our Practice Manager.