How we look after and safeguard information about you
Our pharmacists and their staff are members of your local healthcare team.
They aim to provide you with the highest quality of healthcare. To do this they need to keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you.
We know that you value your privacy and the security of personal information held about you.
Information recorded
As part of providing a professional, safe and efficient service, there is certain information that we record. This includes details of drugs and appliances dispensed against NHS prescriptions as well as significant advice given, and referrals made to other health professionals and any other relevant information.
Information recorded may include:
- basic details about you, such as address, date of birth, next of kin;
- records of medicines you have been prescribed by your doctor or another qualified prescriber, and which have been supplied by this pharmacy;
- details of medicines purchased from the pharmacy without a prescription (“over the counter medicines”);
- other details and notes about your health and medical treatment;
- information relevant to your continued care from other people who care for you and know you well, such as other health professionals and relatives; and
- any other services we provide to you, for example, a flu vaccination.
Processing information
We process your personal data, which includes information related to prescriptions and any other pharmacy and health care services we provide to you (e.g. medicines reviews, vaccinations, stop smoking services etc.)
We process your personal data for the purposes of:
Your care: providing pharmacy services and care to you and, as appropriate, receiving service and health records information if you have selected our pharmacy and sharing your information with your GP and others in the wider NHS;
Our payments: sharing your information with the NHS Business Services Authority, others in the wider NHS, and sometimes Local Authorities, and only limited information to those external to the NHS who negotiate and check the accuracy of our payments; and,
Management: sharing only limited information with the NHS Business Services Authority, NHS Digital and others in the wider NHS, and sometimes Local Authorities; as well as those external to the NHS who ensure we maintain appropriate professional and service standards and that your declarations and ours are accurate.
We hold your information for as long as advised by the NHS.
We process your personal data in the performance of a task in the public interest for the provision of healthcare and treatment. A pharmacist is responsible for the confidentiality of your information.
We may ask you whether you wish to choose our pharmacy to receive and process your future electronic prescriptions. If you choose to nominate our pharmacy you can still change or cancel your selection later by speaking to a pharmacy team member.
Our pharmacy professionals may consult relevant records to support your care, such as NHS summary care records or local shared care records. We align with NHS protocols for use of records. We may also ask you if, whilst you remain under our care, our pharmacy professionals can consult relevant records. If you allow us to see those health records this will help to ensure that relevant medical information is visible to our professionals.
Your rights
You have the right to confidentiality under the General Data Protection Regulation and data protection laws and the common law duty of confidence.
We also comply with the NHS Code of Practice on Confidential Information and pharmacists have a requirement under their professional standards to keep records about you confidential, secure and accurate.
All of our staff contracts of employment contain a requirement to keep patient information confidential.
You may choose to opt out of the NHS using your data for planning and research purposes –details are obtained by:
- visiting nhs.uk/yournhsdatamatters website portal;
- using the NHS App;
- writing by post using the instructions at the web link above; or by
- calling the NHS Digital contact centre – 0300 303 5678 (open workdays Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).
Our guiding principle is that we hold your records in strict confidence.
Your right to view your health record
You have the right to ask for a copy of all pharmacy records about you (generally in paper or electronic form).
Generally, there will be no charge for a printed copy of the information we hold about you. We are required to respond to your request within one month.
You will need to give adequate information in order for pharmacy staff to identify you (for example, full name, address and date of birth). You will be required to provide ID, for example a passport, full driving licence or credit/debit card before any information is released to you.
If you think any information we hold on you is inaccurate or incorrect, please let us know.
You may object to us holding your information.
You may lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Our Data Protection Officer is Ken Agravat, 0161 301 5896.