Corporate information

Your patient record

In order to support your care, NHS healthcare professionals maintain records about you. We take great care to ensure your information is kept securely and used appropriately. Our staff are fully trained to understand their legal and professional obligations to protect your information.

What information do our GPs hold about you?

• Your age, contact details and next of kin
• Details of your appointments, clinic visits etc. 
• Records about your health, illness, treatment and care 
• Results of investigations, like laboratory tests, x-rays, etc.
• Information from other health professionals

When is your information shared?
We will only use or pass on identifiable information about you with health professionals who are treating you to support the direct provision of your care. They will ask your permission to see your information when they see you. We will not disclose your identifiable information to anyone else without your permission unless in exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), or where the law requires it.

You have the choice to share or not to share
You can ask for all or some of your information not to be shared outside of the practice. If you decide not to share at all this will not affect your entitlement to care. However, it may result in the delivery of your care being less efficient as clinicians will not see your full medical history. If you have any concerns about how your information is shared or held, please contact your GP practice.

Access to your health information
You have a right under the Data Protection Act 2018 to access or view information the practice holds about you, and to have it amended or removed should it be inaccurate. You also have the right to restricted processing and automated profiling and erasure if required. We will: 

• describe the information we hold about you
• tell you why we are holding that information
• tell you who it might be shared with
• at your request, provide a copy of the information in an intelligible form

If you would like to make a ‘subject access request’, please contact your GP practice.

Who can see your information with your permission?
In order to provide you with health care services, trained clinicians and their support teams in the following organisations will be able to see your health care records – but only with your permission.

• Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
• Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust
• Central London Healthcare
• Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Connect
• DMC
• Ealing CCG
• Ealing Hospital UCC
• Greenbrook Healthcare
• Healthshare Clinical Services
• Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare Trust
• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• London and Central West Unscheduled Care Collaborative
• London North West Hospital NHS Trust
• West London Mental Health NHS Trust 
• West Middlesex Hospital UCC
• West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
• NW London Extended Hours Hubs
• GP practices within Ealing, Central London, West London, Hounslow and Ealing CCGs

Health and Social care teams providing you with integrated care and support may also access your care plans with your permission.
 
How is anonymous information used?
The NHS currently uses your information in an anonymous and safe way to:

• protect the health of the public
• help us anticipate, plan and provide care
• audit and monitor the quality of services provided
• save lives by supporting medical research

Fair processing & Privacy Notices
Each of our practices have their own specific Fair Processing Notice. To review this in detail please access your practice website or you may request a paper copy from your local GP Practice. 

For an example template of that notice please click here. This notice is intended to inform you about the type of patient information that NHS Hounslow CCG holds, how that information might be used, with whom we may share that information, and how we ensure it is kept secure.

Frequently Asked Questions 
You can read the common questions about patient record sharing in our Frequently Asked Questions document here. 

If this document does not answer your question, or you would like to feedback call 0800 881 5209.

North West London Whole Systems Integrated Care – how your data is used
Whether you are visiting a GP, attending hospital, being seen in your community or at home, care professionals providing your care will be able to see essential information about you. You have the choice not to share your information at any time. More information can be found here. 

Further information
How we use your information poster.

External Links & Documents 
NHS Summary Care Records
National data opt-out programme