How we use your personal information

This Privacy Notice explains why UK Oncology collects information about you and how that information may be used.

Health care professionals who provide you with care to maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. NHS Trust, Private Hospitals, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, etc.). These records are used to help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.

NHS and Private health care records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Records we hold about you may include the following information;

• Details about you, such as your name, address, carers, legal representatives and emergency contact details.
• Any contact we have had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency appointments, etc.
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details about your treatment and care
• Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, scans, x-rays, etc.
• Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you

To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information may be used for a clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided.

Some of this information may be held centrally in the hospitals and practices in which UK Oncology Consultants practice, and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.

How do we maintain the confidentiality of your records?

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:

• Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
• Health and Social Care Act 2012
• NHS Codes of Confidentiality, Information Security, and Records Management
• Information: To Share or Not to Share Review

Every member of staff who works with UK Oncology has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.

We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it.  We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and/or in accordance with the new information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (Information to share or not to share) where “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.”  This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott principles. They should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies.

Who are our partner organizations?

We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organizations or individuals;

• NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
• GPS
• Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
• Private Sector Providers such as BMI, HCA, and Spire
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Ambulance Trusts
• Social Care Services
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Private Sector Providers
• Other ‘data processors’ of which you would be informed

We may discuss your case with other healthcare professionals in Multidisciplinary Meetings. All healthcare professionals in such meetings are obliged to keep any information about your case confidential.

We may also use external companies to process personal information, such as for archiving purposes. These companies are bound by contractual agreements to ensure information is kept confidential and secure.

Access to personal information

You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to request access to view or to obtain copies of what information UK Oncology holds about you and to have it amended should it be inaccurate. In order to request this, you need to do the following:

• Your request must be made in writing to UK Oncology – for information from any hospital you should write directly to them.
• There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you
• We are required to respond to you within 40 days
• You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth, and details of your request) so that your identity can be verified and your records located

Objections / Complaints

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed, please contact UK Oncology.  If you are still unhappy following a review by UK Oncology, you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) via their website (www.ico.gov.uk).

If you are happy for your data to be extracted and used for the purposes described in this privacy notice, then you do not need to do anything.  If you have any concerns about how your data is shared, then please contact one of UK Oncology team.

Change of Details

It is important that you tell the team if any of your details such as your name or address have changed or if any of your details such as date of birth is incorrect in order for this to be amended. You have a responsibility to inform us of any changes to our records are accurate and up to date for you.

Notification

The Data Protection Act 1998 requires organizations to register a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal and sensitive information.

This information is publicly available on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk

Dr.  G Wilson is UK-Oncology’s data controller and is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

Complaints

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed please contact:

UK Oncology Ltd.
The Christie Private Care
550 Wilmslow Road
Manchester M20 2XF

If you still have concerns following a review by UK Oncology you can then complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).  www.ico.org.uk , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745