The doctors and staff of this practice are committed to providing the highest possible standard of patient care. To provide you with the care you need, we hold details of your consultations, illnesses, tests, prescriptions and other treatments. We sometimes disclose some of this with other organisations involved in your care e.g. when you are referred to the hospital we will send relevant details and receive information about you from them. Also in relation to regional and national programmes e.g. cervical cytology screening-details will be given to them to allow them to send an invitation to you.
Some of the information is used for administrative purposes. In order to receive payment for services provided to you, we have to disclose some details about you to the NHS Board responsible for this and to the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service who have a role protecting public funds. They are authorised to check that payments are being properly made and we are required to co-operate with these checks.
Sometimes, we may participate in studies that are designed to improve the way services are provided to you or to check that our performance meets required standards. Whenever we take part in activities such as these we will ensure that as far as possible any details that may identify you are not disclosed.
We are sometimes involved in health research and the teaching of student nurses, doctors and other health professionals. We will not use or disclose your personal health information for these purposes unless you have been informed beforehand and given your consent for us to do so. Where you need a service jointly provided with a local authority we will seek your permission before giving them your details.
Sometimes we are required by law to pass on information e.g. the notification of births and deaths and certain diseases or crimes to the government is a legal requirement. Our use of your personal health information is covered by a duty of confidentiality, and is regulated by the Data Protection Act. The Data Protection Act gives you a number of rights in relation to how your personal information is used, including a right to access the information we hold about you.
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential and adheres to a Code of practice on Protecting Patient Confidentiality. See:www.confidentiality.scot.nhs.uk for more information. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.
Some patient data is also collected by the Glenrothes & North East Fife Community Health Partnership (CHP). This enables the planning of health care in the Glenrothes area. All data collected is protected by the Data Protection Act and Professional Codes of practice and cannot be traced back to individual patients. Individual patient identity is known only to practice staff who need to know.
If you have any queries or concerns on how we use your personal health information, or would like to access your information, please contact the practice manager.