Your Information
Privacy Notice
Primary Care Network
Your practice is collaborating with other practices within our Primary Care Network. This means that staff from one practice may have access to records from another practice in order to support clinical or healthcare management activities.
All staff continue to be bound by confidentiality and have had training in keeping your information secure.
If you have any concerns about your information being accessed by staff from the following practices: Leiston Surgery, Framlingham Medical Practice, Saxmundham Health, please contact us and let us know.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and your information
Please be aware that we may use new providers or suppliers to help us quickly adapt during the outbreak and continue your care effectively. For example, we may use a new provider for video consultations. We may not be able to add these to our transparency materials right away, we apologise for this but please be assured all our processors are bound by contract to protect to your data.
The ICO recognises the unprecedented challenges the NHS and other health professionals are facing during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The ICO also recognise that 'Public bodies may require additional collection and sharing of personal data to protect against serious threats to public health.'
The Government have also taken action in respect of this and on 20th March 2020 the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care issued a Notice under Regulation 3(4) of The Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 requiring organisations such as GP Practices to use your information to help GP Practices and other healthcare organisations to respond to and deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to look after your healthcare needs during this difficult time, we may urgently need to share your personal information, including medical records, with clinical and non-clinical staff who belong to organisations that are permitted to use your information and need to use it to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. This could (amongst other measures) consist of either treating you or a member of your family and enable us and other healthcare organisations to monitor the disease, assess risk and manage the spread of the disease.
Please be assured that we will only share information and health data that is necessary to meet yours and public healthcare needs.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has also stated that these measures are temporary and will expire on 30th September 2020 unless a further extension is required. Any further extension will be communicated via an update to this Privacy Notice.
Please also note that the data protection and electronic communication laws do not stop us from sending public health messages to you, either by phone, text or email as these messages are not direct marketing.
It may also be necessary, where the latest technology allows us to do so, to use your information and health data to facilitate digital consultations and diagnoses and we will always do this with your security in mind.
If you are concerned about how your information is being used, please contact our DPO using the contact details provided in this Privacy Notice.
Sending Photographs Via Email
During COVID-19 we may ask you to send a photograph of you bruise / skin condition that you are concerned about whilst we conduct virtual consultations. This photograph will be used by the clinician to determine any medical treatment necessary and may be added to your medical record where it is deemed necessary.
Please note that, where this is sent via email, it may not be secure we therefore we ask that you only include your NHS number alongside your photograph in the email. The photograph should only be of the area requested and no other person should be visible in the shot.
Leiston Surgery Privacy Policy
Your practice takes privacy seriously and we want to provide you with information about your rights, who we share your information with and how we keep it secure.
Please use the links below to find more information about the practice and data protection.
What We Do with Your Information
What Else Do We Use Your Information For?
How Long Do We Keep Your Information?
Our Use of Telephone Recording
Population Health Management
Processing Activity Log
Leiston Surgery Processing Activities Log October 2023.docx
Privacy Notice
Leiston Surgery Privacy Policy October 2023.docx