Privacy Notice: Medical Research and National Clinical Audits

How your information is used for medical research and to measure the quality of care.

Medical research

Holland House Surgery shares information from medical records:

• to support medical research when the law allows us to do so, for example to learn more about why people get ill and what treatments might work best. 
• we will also use your medical records to carry out research within the practice.

 This is important because:

• the use of information from GP medical records is very useful in developing new treatments and medicines. 
• medical researchers use information from medical records to help answer important questions about illnesses and disease so that improvements can be made to the care and treatment patients receive.

From time to time, we may also ask other health care organisations or companies to process your data on our behalf to help provide you with the best possible care. 

Data will only be processed on the instructions of your GP as part of a written contract. All data processors will comply with data protection legislation. 

Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential but anonymised summary data may be collated for the purposes of reporting and research. 

Any patient that has asked the practice to restrict the viewing of their record will not be included in the data processing. 

We share information with the following medical research organisations with your explicit consent or when the law allows: Cancer Research UK, Interface Clinical Services and Synexus Clinical Research Ltd

You have the right to object to your identifiable information being used or shared for medical research purposes. Please speak to the practice if you wish to object.

Checking the quality of care - national clinical audits

Holland House Surgery contributes to national clinical audits so that healthcare can be checked and reviewed.

• Information from medical records can help doctors and other healthcare workers measure and check the quality of care which is provided to you. 
• The results of the checks or audits can show where hospitals are doing well and where they need to improve.
• The results of the checks or audits are used to recommend improvements to patient care.
• Data are sent to NHS Digital, a national body with legal responsibilities to collect data. 
• The data will include information about you, such as your NHS Number and date of birth and information about your health which is recorded in coded form - for example the code for diabetes or high blood pressure. 
• We will only share your information for national clinical audits or checking purposes when the law allows.
• For more information about national clinical audits see the Healthcare Quality Improvements Partnership website
• You have the right to object to your identifiable information being shared for national clinical audits. Please contact the practice if you wish to object.

How we share your information

We are required by law to provide you with the following information about how we share your information for medical research purposes.

Data Controller contact details

Holland House Surgery
Lytham Primary Care Centre
Victoria Street, Lytham
FY8 5DZ

Phone: 01253 229470

Data Protection Officer contact details

• Hayley Gidman
• Phone: 01782 872648
• Email: mlcsu.dpo@nhs.net

Purpose of the processing

Medical research and to check the quality of care which is given to patients (this is called national clinical audit).

Lawful basis for processing

The following sections of the GDPR mean that we can use medical records for research and to check the quality of care (national clinical audits)

• Article 6(1)(e) – ‘processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller’.

For medical research: there are two possible Article 9 conditions. 

• Article 9(2)(j) – ‘processing is necessary for… scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1) based on Union or Member States law which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and interests of the data subject’. 

To check the quality of care (clinical audit):

• Article 9(2)(h) – ‘processing is necessary for the purpose of preventative…medicine…the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services...’

Recipient or categories of recipients of the processed data

For medical research the data will be shared with Cancer Research UK and Synexus Clinical Research Ltd.

For national clinical audits which check the quality of care the data will be shared with NHS Digital. 

Rights to object and the national data opt-out

You have a right to object under the GDPR and the right to ‘opt-out’ under the national data opt-out model. The national data opt-out model provides an easy way for you to opt-out of:

information that identifies you being used or shared for medical research purposes and quality checking or audit purposes. 

Please contact the practice if you wish to opt-out.

Right to access and correct

You have the right to access your medical record and have any errors or mistakes corrected. Please speak to a member of staff or look at our ‘subject access request’ policy

We are not aware of any circumstances in which you will have the right to delete correct information from your medical record; although you are free to obtain your own legal advice if you believe there is no lawful purpose for which we hold the information and contact us if you hold a different view.

Retention period

GP medical records will be kept in line with the law and national guidance. Information on how long records are kept can be found online on the NHS Digital website or speak to the practice.

Right to complain

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. If you wish to complain please visit the ICO website

Data we get from other organisations

We receive information about your health from other organisations who are involved in providing you with health and social care. For example, if you go to hospital for treatment or an operation the hospital will send us a letter to let us know what happens. This means your GP medical record is kept up-to date when you receive care from other parts of the health service.

Reviewed: 03/06/2024

Next review: 03/06/2025