Privacy Notice Q&A

A privacy notice helps your doctor’s surgery tell you how it uses information it has about you, like your name, address, date of birth and all of the notes the doctor or nurse makes about you in your healthcare record.

Your doctor’s surgery needs a privacy notice to make sure it meets the legal requirements which are written in a document called the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR for short).

What a great question! The GDPR is a document that helps your doctor’s surgery keep the information about you secure. It was introduced on the 25th May 2018, and it makes sure that your doctor, nurse and any other staff at the practice follow the rules and keep your information safe.

At your surgery, we have posters in our waiting room and leaflets to give to children and adults and we also have lots of information about privacy on our website, telling you how we use the information we have about you.

Don’t worry, we only collect the information we need to help us keep you healthy. This includes your name, address, information about your parents, guardians or carers, records of appointments, visits, telephone calls, your health record, treatment and medicines, test results, X-rays and any other information to enable us to care for you.

Another great question! Your information is taken to help us provide your care. We might need to share this information with other medical teams, such as hospitals, if you need to been seen by a special doctor or sent for an X-ray. Your doctor’s surgery may also be asked to help with exciting medical research; but don’t worry, we will always ask you, or your parents or adults with parental responsibility, if it’s okay to share your information.

Well, your doctor’s surgery knows that it is very important to protect the information we have about you. We make sure we follow the rules that are written in the GDPR and other important rule books.

If you have a long-term medical problem then we know it is important to make sure your information is shared with other healthcare workers to help them help you, making sure you get the care you need when you need it!

All of our patients, no matter what their age, can say that they don’t want to share their information. If you’re under 16 this is something which your parents or carers will have to decide. They can get more information from a member of staff at the surgery, who can also explain what this means to you.

Remember we told you about the GDPR? Well, if you want to see what is written about you, you have a right to access the information we hold about you, but you will need to complete a Subject Access Request (SAR). Your parents or adults with parental responsibility will do this on your behalf if you’re under 16. However, if you are over 12, you may be classed as being competent and you may be able to do this yourself.

If you have any questions, ask a member of the surgery team or your parents or adults or carer. You can:

• Contact the practice’s data controller via email at CWSCCG.fitzalan-littlehampton@nhs.net. GP practices are data controllers for the data they hold about their patients
• Write to the data controller at Fitzalan Medical Group
• Ask to speak to the Practice Manager
• Complete the Contact the Practice form online

The Data Controller is Fitzalan Medical Group.

The Data Protection Officer (DPO) is Richard Newell.

We really want to make sure you’re happy, but we understand that sometimes things can go wrong. If you or your parents or adults with parental responsibility are unhappy with any part of our data-processing methods, you can complain. For more information, visit the Information Commissioner's Office and select ‘Raising a concern’. We always make sure the information we give you is up to date. Any updates will be published on our website, in our newsletter and leaflets, and on our posters.

If you would like to submit a complaint online, you can do so by completing the Feedback form.

This policy will be reviewed in March 2019.