Freedom of Information

We ask for information so that you can receive proper care and treatment.

We keep this information, together with details of your care because it may be needed if we see you again. We may use some of this information for other reasons: for example to help us protect the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently, plans for the future, trains its staff, pays its bills and can account for its actions.

Information may also be needed to help educate future clinical staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone. Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information – for example to notify a birth.

The NHS Central Register for England and Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The Register does not contain clinical information.

You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can work together for your benefit we may need to share some information about you.

We can only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you. The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law.

Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.