NHS Digital is the secure haven for NHS patient data, a single secure repository where data collected from all branches of the NHS is processed.

NHS Digital have the power under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (section 259) to issue a Data Provision Notice.

Recently a Data Provision Notice was issued for Research and Planning. This Data Provision Notice is valid from 1^st September 2021.

Data Controller

Battersea Fields Practice
3 Austin Rd
SW11 5JP

Data Protection Controller

Umar Sabat
Data Protection Officer
Dpo.swl@nhs.net

Purpose of Processing

To provide the Secretary of State and others with information and reports on the status, activity and performance of the NHS. The provide specific reporting functions on identified.

Lawful Basis for Processing

The legal basis will be:

• Article 6(1)(c) “processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.” Complying with the Health and Social Care Act 2012
• Article 9(2)(g) “reasons for processing for substantial public interest

Recipient or Categories of Recipients

The data will be shared with NHS Digital according to directions which can be found at www.digital.nhs.uk/article/8059/NHS-England-Directions.

Please also see issued Data Provision Notices: NHS: Data Provision Notices (DPNs)

Rights to Object

You have the right to object to the data being transferred and in order to do this you should complete an opt out form and send this to the practice.

Right to Access and Correct

You have the right to access the data that is being shared and have any inaccuracies corrected. There is no right to have accurate medical records deleted except when ordered by a court of Law.

Retention Period

The data will be retained for active use during the processing and thereafter according to NHS Policies and the law.

Right to Complain

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, you can use the following website:

• www.ico.org.uk/
• or calling their helpline Tel: 01625 545 745 (national rate)

There are National Offices for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, (see ICO website).

For our full Privacy Statement please click here.

New policy concerning repeat medications and medication reviews

Below is a summary of the new practice policy to come into action on 1st October.  Please continue to read to understand the reasons behind this, in terms of patient safety and providing good clinical care.

From 1st October 2023, patients who request their repeat medications who have an ‘overdue’ medication review will have their tablets reduced to 28 days until they book a review.  if they continue to request without a review or booking for review they will have tablets reduced to 2 weeks.  this will continue at this number until their appointment is booked or they have had a review.

Why is there a need for a regular medication review?

• For all patients with medications on repeat there is a need for a clinician (GP or Clinical Pharmacist within the practice) to ‘review’ their medications at least annually. It can also be more frequent than this if clinically needed.
• The purpose of a medication review is several fold, but most importantly it is to check that the medications are being issued safely and are effective in treating your condition.
• Your “Medication review’ will, therefore, involve an assessment of your condition, for example, is your blood pressure controlled? How is your mood or pain? Is your diabetes controlled? Do you need any extra medications for your heart?
• The medication review will also need to include some measurements and tests if appropriate – these may be blood tests, checking your weight or performing some questionnaires etc.
• Sometimes the doctor or Pharmacist will be able to do a ‘medication review’ without seeing you – they will look at recent consultations, test results and perhaps information from the hospital. They will then update your review date appropriately.

How do I know when my ‘medication review’ is due?

There are several ways to know:

• It should be on the right side of your prescription paper when you pick it up from the pharmacy. It should be below your list of repeat medications – if these are printed out.
• You can also ask your pharmacist when you collect your medications – it will be on their system.
• If you have an up-to-date mobile number on your medication records you will receive a text in the month before your review is due informing you that you need to book an appointment

Why is there a new policy?

• After recent review of our prescribing, we have found there are a lot of patients who have ‘overdue medication reviews’ and this represents a safety issue to them and also that they may not be receiving the best care possible
• Patients are often reminded in several different ways – via text, message sent to pharmacist or sometimes calls, however, the policy represents a uniform and systematic way for all patients. Patients will be sent a message 1 month before their review date, they will be sent further messages if they continue to request medications reminding them to book a review – at the same time their tablet number will be reduced as above.
• The policy has been discussed with the Patient Participation Group (PPG) who is in agreement that it is good way to proceed
• The policy will be reviewed over time – it will be monitored to see if and what changes need to be made.

The Freedom of Information Act creates a right of access to recorded information and obliges a public authority to: 

• Have a publication scheme in place 
• Allow public access to information held by public authorities

The act covers any recorded organisational information such as reports, policies or strategies, that is held by a public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland, however it does not cover personal information such as patient records which are covered by the Data Protection Act. 

Public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces. 

The act is enforced by the Information Commissioner who regulates both the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act 2018. 

The Surgery Publication Scheme

A publication scheme requires an authority to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. The scheme lists information under seven broad classes, which are: 

• Who we are and what we do 
• What we spend and how we spend it 
• What our priorities are and how we are doing it 
• How we make decisions 
• Our policies and procedures 
• Lists and registers 
• The services we offer 

You can request our publication scheme leaflet at the surgery. 

Who Can Request Information?

Under the Act, any individual, anywhere in the world, is able to make a request to a practice for information. An applicant is entitled to be informed in writing, by the practice, whether the practice holds information of the description specified in the request and if that is the case, have the information communicated to him. An individual can request information, regardless of whether he/she is the subject of the information or affected by its use.  

How Should Requests be Made?

Requests must: 

• Be made in writing (this can be electronically e.g. email/fax).
• State the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence .
• Describe the information requested. 

What Cannot be Requested?

Personal data about staff and patients covered under Data Protection Act. 

For more information see these websites: 

• Legislation GOV.UK 
• Information Commissioners Office 

Whilst we cannot place restrictions on a patient wishing to make notes or a recording of a consultation or conversation with a member of the clinical team when it is felt absolutely necessary by the patient to do so, we as a team expect that:

• Any recording is done openly and honestly
• The recording process does not interfere with the consultation process or the treatment or care being administered
• The patient is aware that an entry will be made in their healthcare record that they have recorded the consultation (or care being provided)
• The patient understands the private and confidential nature of the recording and that it is their sole responsibility to ensure it is kept safe and secure
• The recording is being made for personal use only
• Any misuse of the recording, including using it to harass, intimidate or threaten organisation staff, may result in criminal or civil proceedings
• Staff should be assured that it is in their best interests as the record of the meeting will be accurate, fair and that there can be no misunderstandings at a later point
• The recording will not be shared to third parties unless this is an absolute requirement

We a training practice for qualified doctors who are training to become GPs.  Trainees spend 6-12 months seeing patients, doing home visits and running emergency clinics, supervised by a GP trainer at the practice.

The practice is also involved with teaching medical students. Medical students are taught in groups, and may also sit in with a GP during a clinic, with patient consent.

From 4th October 2023 you will be able to see your medical records on line from that date onwards.

For more information on this please visit: NHS: How to get your medical records

Make sure you agree with the following sentences before accessing your record.

• Forgotten history – There may be something you have forgotten about in your record that you might find upsetting.
• Abnormal Results or Bad News – If your GP has given you access to test results or letters, you may see something that you find upsetting. This may occur before you have spoken to your doctor or while the surgery is closed and you cannot contact them.
• Choosing to share your Information with Someone – It’s up to you if you share your information with other- perhaps family members or carers. It’s your choice, but also your responsibility to keep the information safe and secure.
• Coercion – If you think you may be pressured into revealing details from your patient record to someone else against your will, it is best that you so not register for access at this time.
• Misunderstood information – Your medical record is designed to be used by clinical professionals to ensure that you receive the best possible care. Some of the information within your medical record may be highly technical, written by specialists and not easily understood. If you require further clarification, please contact the surgery for a clearer explanation.
• Information about someone else – If you spot something in the record that is not about you or notice any other errors, please log out of the system immediately and contact the practice as soon as possible.

1. I have read and understood the information provided by the practice

2. I understand that I will automatically see any new information (prospective records) that is added to my healthcare record.

3. I understand how to keep my online GP services and the information they contain about me secure

4. If I choose to share my information with anyone else, this is at my own risk

5. If I suspect that my account has been accessed by someone without my agreement, I will contact the practice as soon as possible

6. If I see information in my record that is not about me or is inaccurate, I will contact the practice as soon as possible

7. If I think that I may come under pressure to give access to someone else unwillingly, I will contact the practice as soon as possible. If the patient struggles to agree with any of these statements or raises any concerns, recommend that the patient makes an appointment with an appointed person in the practice to discuss their concerns before signing them up for GP online services. You can include the statements in an application form.

Understanding some of the medical terms you may see in your notes – in the first instance please visit NHS: Abbreviations you may find in your health records.

Understanding your laboratory test results – please visit labtestsonline.org.uk.

For further information about the medication you are taking visit patient.info/medicine.

We strive to ensure your details are accurate and up to date. If you are concerned that information in your online record is inaccurate, please contact the practice. Your concern will be passed to a member of the clinical team to review. This is an extremely busy time and it may take up to 28 days to review your concern, so please don’t contact us unless at least 28 days have passed since your request. The practice will contact you directly by SMS once your request has been reviewed with an update.

Medical Reports

Our practice has decided to outsource our medical reporting work to an NHS Digital accredited company called MediData. MediData will be processing your medical report via eMR and providing online access via their secure encrypted portal. If you wish to contact MediData directly, please email mdmc@medi2data.com or call on 03333 055774.

Medical reports and examinations can be obtained from your doctor, but as this is not supported by the NHS there will be a charge, to be paid before completion. We suggest you download the NHS App, please watch this film for further information: NHS Digital: NHS App Film.