At York Road Group Practice, we take your privacy and confidentiality very seriously. Your health information is sensitive, and we are committed to protecting it in line with all relevant laws and guidelines.
Why We Share Your Data
- To provide you with the best possible care, your medical information may need to be shared with other healthcare professionals, such as hospitals, specialists, or community health services.
- Sharing data helps coordinate your care, avoid duplication of tests, and ensure that any healthcare professional involved in your treatment has the information they need.
- We may also share data for public health purposes, such as disease monitoring and health research, but only in a way that does not identify you personally.
How We Protect Your Data
- All information shared is done securely and only with those who are directly involved in your care or have a legitimate reason to access it.
- We comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- You have the right to know what data we hold, and you can request access or ask for corrections if needed.
Your Choices
- You can choose to opt-out of some types of data sharing. Please speak to a member of staff if you want to know more or if you wish to make any changes.
- Your care will not be affected if you decide not to share some of your data, but sharing information can help us provide safer and more effective care.
If you have any questions or concerns about how your data is shared or used, please contact us at 0151 355 2112.
Privacy Notices
Confidentiality
You can be sure that anything you discuss with any member of the practice — whether it’s a GP, nurse, admin team member, or another healthcare professional — will remain confidential.
Even if you are under 16, nothing will be shared with anyone — including parents, family members, care workers, or tutors — without your permission.
The only exception would be if we believe that sharing information is necessary to protect you or someone else from serious harm. If that situation arises, we would always try to speak with you about it first.
Consent to share data with a relative/carer
If you would like us to share your medical information with a relative or carer, you’ll need to complete a consent form. These are available at reception or can be downloaded. Once completed, please hand the form to a member of our admin team. We will then update your records to reflect your consent and the name of the person you’ve authorised, allowing us to share your clinical information with them as needed
Data Protection Impact Assessment
What is a DPIA and Why Does It Matter to You?
At our GP practice, we take your personal data—and especially your health information—very seriously. Whenever we introduce a new system (like online consultations, messaging apps, or digital triage tools), we carry out something called a:
Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
This is a formal process that helps us:
- Understand what data we’re collecting about you
- Identify any risks to your privacy
- Make sure your information stays safe, secure, and used properly
- Show that we are complying with UK data protection law (UK GDPR)
Why Do We Do It?
Because we often handle sensitive information—like your medical history, test results, or contact details—we are required by law to assess and manage the risks involved before using any new digital tools.
Data Processing Agreement
A Data Processing Agreement is a legal contract between the GP practice (us) and any company or supplier that helps us process your data.
It clearly sets out:
- What data is being processed (e.g., your name, NHS number, test results)
- Why the data is being processed
- How it must be stored and protected
- What happens if something goes wrong (like a data breach)
- What the supplier is not allowed to do (e.g., sell or misuse your data)
- Why We Use DPAs
- We only work with suppliers that meet strict data protection and NHS security standards.
- The DPA ensures they:
- Follow the law (UK GDPR)
- Keep your information safe
- Do not use your data for anything outside of NHS care
- Report any problems immediately
- What This Means for You
- Your data remains under our control, even when it’s processed by another company on our behalf.
- You can trust that your information is handled securely and only used for your care.
- You can ask us anytime about which suppliers we use and how we protect your data.
- Want to Know More?
- If you have questions about your data or how we work with external providers, please contact the practice.
Open Safely
Open Safely is a secure, trusted system used by the NHS to help doctors, researchers, and public health experts understand and improve healthcare in the UK. It allows important research to be carried out using anonymous NHS health records while keeping your personal information safe.
Open Safely was originally created during the COVID-19 pandemic to help understand:
- Who was most at risk of serious illness
- How treatments were working
- How vaccines were helping
Today, it continues to support research on a wide range of health issues like:
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Mental health
- Medication safety
- Why does this matter?
- By using OpenSAFELY, researchers can:
- Improve treatments and services for everyone
- Understand health inequalities
- Help the NHS run more effectively
- Your (anonymous) data helps save lives—now and in the future.
- Can I opt out?
- Yes. If you don’t want your health information to be used for research, you can register a National Data Opt-Out:
- Visit: www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters
- Or call 0300 303 5678
- Even if you opt out, your care will not be affected in any way.
National Data Opt Out
The data held in your GP medical records is shared with other healthcare professionals for the purposes of your individual care. It is also shared with other organisations to support health and care planning and research.
If you do not want your personally identifiable patient data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except your own care, you can register an opt-out with your GP practice. This is known as a Type 1 Opt-out. If you wish to opt out, please compete the form below and return it to York Road Group Practice.
If you do not want your personally identifiable patient data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except your own care, you can register an opt-out with your GP practice. This is known as a Type 1 Opt-out. If you wish to opt out, please compete the form below and return it to York Road Group Practice.