Information we hold is recorded either within a manual record (written down) or alternatively held electronically on a computer.

Generally, these records include:

  • Basic details such as name, address, date of birth and next of kin.
  • Notes, reports and care plans relating to your health.
  • Details and records about the treatment and care you are currently receiving
  • Results of investigations, such as X-rays and laboratory tests
  • Information from other health professionals or organisations, including those who are part of your care team.

How we keep your records confidential

All staff working within the NHS have a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

However, there may be instances where we may need to share your information with other health professionals or organisations such as social services, multi-disciplinary / healthcare teams and your GP, so that we can work together for your benefit.

We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. Anyone who receives information from us also has a legal obligation to keep it confidential.

We will always notify you of this first and gain your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances such as when the health or safety of others is at risk or where the law requires information to be passed on.

However, we are required by law to report certain information to the appropriate authorities. This is only provided after formal permission has been given by a qualified health professional.

Examples include:

  • Notification of new births
  • Where we encounter infectious diseases which may endanger the safety of others, such as meningitis or measles (but not HIV/AIDS
  • Where a formal court order has been issued.

How we use your Information – COVID -19

To ensure you receive the most appropriate care, your doctor and any other health professionals involved with your care hold records about the health, treatment and care you receive from the National Health Service (NHS).

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak there is an even greater need to ensure that health and care information which are essential to the delivery of care to individuals, support health and social care services and protect public health are readily available and appropriately shared. This information is also vital in researching, monitoring, tracking and managing the outbreak.

Test and Trace – Visitors Forms

It is critical that organisations take a range of measures to keep everyone safe. In line with directives issued by NHS England organisations must now implement a process relating to Test and Trace.

Information is critical to the response to COVID-19. Key pieces of data extracted from health and care settings, combined with information provided by patients themselves, will be used in new ways to care for people and help the NHS and social care to better understand and respond to the virus.

The Trust will now be maintaining records of all visitors to support NHS Test and Trace. This information is required in line with the ‘Maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace’. Guidance relating to such was published by the Department of Health and Social Care on 2 July 2020.

The Trust will be a data controller for the data obtained at the point the information is collected and will be responsible for compliance with data protection legislation for the period of time that it holds the information. * This is set at 21 days, following which time your data will be securely destroyed.

*In the event of a declared outbreak by Public Health England this data will be held for an indefinite period and until all investigations are completed.

Please refer to the Trust specific COVID – 19 Privacy Notice for further information.

Test and Trace Service

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak SECAmb was asked to establish a Test and Trace cell to support the Public Health England (PHE) Tier 1 contact tracing level (referred to as complex cases) of the service. This would take place through the implementation of a local contact tracing policy of their employees when a staff member* is confirmed as COVID-19 positive.

*This caveat also includes CFR’s, Volunteers, Contractors and Patients which the Trust has provided care to as an emergency service.

Positive cases may be identified internally, or through information passed to the Trust via secure email from Public Health England. The Trust needs to accurately record details of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases and staff who may have been exposed to COVID-19 through contact with those individuals.

Information will be held and retained in line with the Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care 2016 with data protection legislation adhered to.

*In the event of a declared outbreak by Public Health England this data will be held for an indefinite period and until all investigations are completed.

Please refer to the Trust specific COVID – 19 Privacy Notice and separate Employee Privacy Notice for further information.

SECAmb COVID-19 Privacy Notice

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