Amicus Health has a legal duty to explain how we use any personal information we collect about you, as a registered patient, at the organisation. Staff at this organisation maintain records about your health and the treatment you receive in electronic and paper format.
A privacy notice tells people how organisations use information that they hold about them. A new law called the UK General Data Protection Regulation 2016, also known as GDPR, says that we need to provide you with this privacy notice and let you know:
The law gives us permission to use your information in situations where we need it to take care of you. Because information about your health is very personal, sensitive, and private to you, the law is very strict about how we use it.
So, before we can use your information in the ways we have set out in this privacy notice, we have to have a good reason in law which is called a ‘lawful basis’. Not only do we have to do that, but we also have to show that your information falls into a special group or category because it is very sensitive. By doing this, the law makes sure we only use your information to look after you and that we do not use it for any other reason.
If you would like more information about this, please ask to speak to our data protection officer (DPO) mentioned in this privacy notice who will explain this in more detail.
We, at Amicus Health, are responsible for collecting, storing and handling your information when you are registered with us as a patient. Because we do this, the law says we are the data controller. Sometimes we may use your information for a particular purpose and, when we do so, the law says we are the data processor.
Personal information is anything that identifies you as a person and we all have personal information. Personal information that tells us something about you includes:
The law says that we must do all we can to keep your information private, safe and secure.
We use secure computer systems and we make sure that any written information held about you is under lock and key and kept in a safe place. This includes taking great care with any passwords we use which we change on a regular basis. We also train our staff to respect your privacy and deal with your information in a manner that makes sure it is always kept and dealt with in a safe way.
We only usually use your information to help us care for you. That means we might need to share your information with other people who are concerned and involved with looking after your health.
We might need to share your information with the police, courts, social services, solicitors and other people who have a right to your information, but we always make sure that they have a legal right to see it (or have a copy of it) before we provide it to them.
Usually only doctors, nurses and other people who work with us are allowed to see your information.
Sometimes though, if you need to go to the hospital or be seen by a special doctor, we will share your information with them but this is only so that we can take care of you.
Sometimes we might be asked to take part in medical research that might help you in the future. We will always ask you or your parent(s) or adult with parental responsibility if we can share your information if this happens.
Possibly the police, social services, the courts and other organisations and people who may have a legal right to see your information.
You can choose to opt out of sharing your confidential patient information for research and planning. There may still be times when your confidential patient information is used; for example, during an epidemic where there might be a risk to you or to other people’s health. You can also still consent to take part in a specific research project.
Your confidential patient information will still be used for your individual care. Choosing to opt out will not affect your care and treatment.
You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your confidential patient information is used.
If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out by using one of the following methods:
Note: Unfortunately, the national data opt-out cannot be applied by this organisation.
Patient data will be collected from GP medical records about:
They will not collect your name or where you live. Any other data that could directly identify you, for example NHS number, General Practice Local Patient Number, postcode and date of birth, is replaced with unique codes which are produced by de-identification software before the data is shared with NHS Digital.
If you do not want your identifiable patient data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except for your own care, you can register an opt-out with your own GP practice. This is known as a Type 1 Opt-out.
You can register a Type 1 Opt-out at any time and you can also change your mind at any time and withdraw a Type 1 Opt-out.
Should you have any questions about our privacy policy or the information we hold about you, you can:
The data protection officer (DPO) for Amicus Health is :
Rebekah Lovewell
Data Protection Officer
Delt Shared Services Ltd.
BUILDING 2 – DELT
Derriford Business Park
Plymouth
PL6 5QZ
In the unlikely event that you are unhappy with any element of our data processing methods, do please contact the practice manager at Amicus Health in the first instance. If you feel that we have not addressed your concern appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO. For further details, visit ico.gov.uk and select “Raising a concern” or telephone: 0303 123 1113.
The Information Commissioner’s Office is the regulator for the General Data Processing Regulations and offers independent advice and guidance on the law and personal data including your rights and how to access your personal information.
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