Data Protection Notice

About Aviemore Medical Practice

Aviemore Medical Practice is a partnership of GPs providing General Medical Services (GMS) under contract from NHS Highland. We cover a defined geographic area and provide services to patients who are living within our practice boundaries as well as those who are visiting the area and require urgent medical care.

About the personal information we use

We use personal information on different groups of individuals including:

• Patients (both temporary and permanent)
• Staff
• Contractors
• Suppliers
• Complainants/Enquirers
• Professional experts and consultants
• Individuals captured by CCTV

The personal information we use includes information that identifies you, such as your name, address, date of birth, postcode and Community Health Index number.

We also use more sensitive types of personal information, including information about medical history, racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, data, health, sex life and sexual orientation along with any other scientific data which may form part of your medical records.

Our purposes for using personal information

Aviemore Medical Practice has a statutory responsibility to provide or arrange for the provision of healthcare, health improvement and health protection services. We are given these tasks so that we can help to promote the improvement of the physical and mental health of the patients of Aviemore Medical Practice as well as contributing to the overall health of the community.

We use personal information to enable us to provide healthcare services for patients, data matching under the national fraud initiative, research, supporting and managing our employees, maintaining our accounts and records and the use of CCTV systems for crime prevention.

Our legal basis for using personal information

Aviemore Medical Practice, as data controller, is required to have a legal basis when using personal information. Aviemore Medical Practice considers that in order to facilitate the safe provision of Health Care the use of personal data is critical.

When we are using sensitive types of personal information, including health information, our legal basis is usually that the use is necessary:

• for the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services; or
• for reasons of public interest in the area of public health; or
• for reasons of substantial public interest for aims that are proportionate and respect people’s rights, for example research; or
• in order to protect the vital interests of an individual; or
• for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or in the case of a court order.

On rare occasions we may rely on your explicit consent as our legal basis for using your personal information. When we do this we will explain what it means, and the rights that are available to you. You should be aware that we will continue to ask for your consent for other things like taking part in a drug trial, or when you are having an operation.

Who provides the personal information

When you do not provide information directly to us, we receive it from other individuals and organisations involved in the delivery of health and care services. These include other NHS Boards and primary care contractors such as GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians, other public bodies e.g. Local Authorities and suppliers of goods and services.

Sharing personal information with others

Depending on the situation, where necessary we will share appropriate, relevant and proportionate personal information in compliance with the law, with the following:

• Our patients and their chosen representatives or carers
• Staff
• Healthcare social and welfare organisations
• Pharmacists
• Service providers
• Legal representatives
• Research organisations (anonymized data only)
• Financial or legal organisations (only at the patient’s request)
• Professional bodies
• Police forces (only in certain circumstances)

Transferring personal information abroad

It is sometimes necessary to transfer personal health information overseas for example if you require urgent medical treatment abroad. When this is needed information may be transferred to countries or territories around the world. Any transfers made will be in full compliance with NHS Scotland Information Security Policy.

Retention periods of the information we hold

Within Aviemore Medical Practice we keep personal information as set out in the Scottish Government Records Management: NHS Code of Practice (Scotland) Version 2.1 January 2012. The NHS Code of Practice sets out minimum retention periods for information, including personal information, held in different types of records including personal health records and administrative records. Further details on this can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2012/01/10143104/0

How we protect personal information

We take care to ensure your personal information is only accessible to authorised people. Our staff have a legal and contractual duty to keep personal health information secure, and confidential. The following security measures are in place to protect personal information:

• All staff undertake mandatory training in Data Protection and IT Security
• Compliance with NHS Scotland Information Security Policy
• Organisational policy and procedures on the safe handling of personal information
• Access controls and audits of electronic systems

Your rights

The right to be informed

Aviemore Medical Practice must explain how we use your personal information. We use a number of ways to communicate how personal information is used, including:

• This Data Protection Notice
• Information Leaflets
• Discussions with staff providing your care

The right of access

You have the right to access your own personal information. This right includes making you aware of what information we hold along with the opportunity to satisfy you that we are using your information fairly and legally.

You have the right to obtain:

• Confirmation that your personal information is being held or used by us
• Access to your personal information
• Additional information about how we use your personal information

Although we must provide this information free of charge, if your request is considered unfounded or excessive, or if you request the same information more than once, we may charge a reasonable fee.

If you would like to access your personal information, you can do this by contacting:

The Practice Manager
Aviemore Health Centre
Aviemore
PH22 1SY
T: 01479 810258
E: nhsh.GP55911-admin@nhs.scot

Once we have details of your request and you have provided us with enough information for us to locate your personal information, we will respond to your request without delay, within one month (30 days). However, if your request is complex we may take longer, by up to two months, to respond. If this is the case we will tell you and explain the reason for the delay.

The right to rectification

If the personal information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete you have the right to have this corrected.

If it is agreed that your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete we will aim to amend your records accordingly, normally within one month, or within two months where the request is complex. However, we will contact you as quickly as possible to explain this further if the need to extend our timescales applies to your request. Unless there is a risk to patient safety, we can restrict access to your records to ensure that the inaccurate or incomplete information is not used until amended.

If for any reason we have shared your information with anyone else, perhaps during a referral to another service for example, we will notify them of the changes required so that we can ensure their records are accurate.

If on consideration of your request, Aviemore Medical Practice does not consider the personal information to be inaccurate then we will add a comment to your records stating your concerns about the information. If this is the case we will contact you within one month to explain our reasons for this.

If you are unhappy about how Aviemore Medical Practice has responded to your request for rectification we will provide you with information on how you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, or how to take legal action.

The right to object

When Aviemore Medical Practice is processing your personal information for the purpose of the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority you have the right to object to the processing and also seek that further processing of your personal information is restricted. Provided Aviemore Medical Practice can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for processing your personal information, for instance; patient safety or for evidence to support legal claims, your right will not be upheld.

Other rights

There are other rights under current Data Protection Law however these rights only apply in certain circumstances. If you wish further information on these please contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.

The right to complain

Aviemore Medical Practice has a Data Protection Officer to check that we handle personal information in a way that meets data protection law. If you are unhappy with the way in which we use your personal information please tell our Data Protection Officer using the contact details below:

Donald Peterkin
Data Protection Officer
NHS Highland
Assynt House
Beechwood Park
Inverness
IV2 3BW
T: 01463 706 057
E: nhsh.dpohighland@nhs.scot

You also have the right to complain about how we use your personal information to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Details about this are on their website at www.ico.org.uk.

Translation Service/Accessibility

It may be possible to make this information available to you in alternative formats. All enquiries should be directed to:

The Practice Manager
Aviemore Health Centre
Aviemore
PH22 1SY
T: 01479 810258
E: nhsh.GP55911-admin@nhs.scot