Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
This
notice describes how we may use your information to protect you and others
during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
It supplements our main Privacy
Notice for Patients.
The health and social care system is facing significant pressures
due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Health
and care information is essential to deliver care to individuals, to support
health and social care services and to protect public health.
Information
will also be vital in researching, monitoring, tracking and managing the
outbreak.
In
the current emergency it has become even more important to share health and
care information across relevant organisations.
Existing
law which allows confidential patient information to be used and shared
appropriately and lawfully in a public health emergency is being used during
this outbreak.
Using this law the Secretary of State has required these health organisations and GPs to
share confidential patient information to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak:
Any
information used or shared during the Covid-19 outbreak will be limited to the
period of the outbreak unless there is another legal basis to use the data.
For
further information, please see:
During
this period of emergency, opt-outs will not generally apply to the data used to
support the COVID-19 outbreak, due to the public interest in sharing
information.
This includes national data opt-outs - please see the NHS website: Choose if data from your health
records is shared for research and planning (www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/).
However,
in relation to the Summary Care Record, existing choices will be respected.
Where
data is used and shared under these laws your right to have personal data
erased will also not apply.
In
order to look after your health and care needs we may share your confidential
patient information including health and care records with clinical and
non-clinical staff in other health and care providers, for example neighbouring
GP practices, hospitals and NHS 111.
We
may also use the details we have to send public health messages to you, either
by phone, text or email.
During
this period of emergency we may offer you a consultation via telephone or
video- conferencing.
By
accepting the invitation and entering the consultation you are consenting to
this.
Your
personal/confidential patient information will be safeguarded in the same way
it would with any other consultation.
We
will also be required to share personal/confidential patient information with
health and care organisations and other bodies engaged in disease surveillance
for the purposes of protecting public health, providing healthcare services to
the public and monitoring and managing the outbreak.
For further information about how health and care data is being
used and shared by other NHS and social care organisations in a variety of ways
to support the COVID-19 response, please see the NHSX website: How data is
supporting the Covid-19 response (www.nhsx.nhs.uk/key-information-and-tools/information-governance-guidance/how-data-is-supporting-covid19).
NHS England and Improvement and NHSX have developed a single,
secure store to gather data from across the health and care system to inform
the COVID-19 response.
This includes data already collected by NHS England, NHS
Improvement, Public Health England and NHS Digital. New data will include 999
call data, data about hospital occupancy and A&E capacity data as well as
data provided by patients themselves - please see the NHS website: Tell the NHS about your current
experience of coronavirus (www.gwh.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/health-records/how-we-use-your-information/privacy-notice-for-patients/supplementary-privacy-notice-for-patients-coronavirus-(covid-19)/).
All
the data held in the platform is subject to strict controls that meet the
requirements of data protection legislation.
Data
is also being shared with the local CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) to
assist the most vulnerable patients.
The
data that is collected and used refers to patient data but may also include
staff data in the event that a member of staff is confirmed or suspected of
having the virus.
We
have a duty to keep our patients and our staff safe.
To
do this we will need to include some sharing of staff data so that we can
protect individuals, manage the workforce and staffing levels, and also offer
staff support as required.
In
such circumstances where you tell us you're experiencing COVID-19 symptoms we
may need to collect specific health data about you.
Where
we need to do so, we will not collect more information than we require and we will
ensure that any information collected is treated with the appropriate
safeguards.
For key worker testing and how the data is used, please see
the Department of Health and Social
Care website: Testing for coronavirus: privacy information (www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-privacy-information/testing-for-coronavirus-privacy-information).
We
may amend this privacy notice at any time, so please review it frequently.
