The people caring for you need access to your health and care record in order to make the best decisions about your diagnosis and treatment. For this to happen more quickly and to improve the care you receive, a new process has been put in place.
With your permission, My Care Record will provide health and care professionals directly involved in your care, access to the most up-to-date information about you. To find out more please go to www.mycarerecord.org.uk.
Fair Processing Notice
How we use your information
What is My Care Record?
In west Essex and Hertfordshire, providers of health and social care services are working more closely together to better coordinate the delivery of care to people supported by local commissioners.
My Care Record is a programme which allows people to give health and care professionals their permission to access their medical records during their treatment.
The people caring for you need to access about your health and care record in order to make the best decisions about your diagnosis and treatment. This could include GPs, hospital-based clinicians, nurses, health visitors and social workers.
To enable this to happen more quickly and to improve the care you receive, a new process has been put in place. This will allow your information to be accessed by different health and care organisations, using existing computer systems.
Your record will only be accessed by health and care professionals involved in your care.
Information will only be accessed with your permission – where applicable – and while you are receiving direct treatment by a health and care professional.
Information accessed through My Care Record is treated to the same security standards as all confidential information.
What information will be made available?
The record accessed is your health and care record.
Examples of information that will be available include:
- Name, address, NHS Number and phone number
- Medications
- Test results and investigations
- Correspondence
- Clinical history
- Emergency department treatment
- Future and past appointments
- Health plans and alerts
- Mental health alerts and diagnoses
- Social care lead coordinator and your care plan.
How is this information used?
The information available in the record from your care provider is in a chronological order so that your care provider can see a relevant history of your care. They will always update their own care record with any new information. This helps them to make better decisions about your care. Access is only with your explicit permission.
The organisations that could be involved in the service are:
- GP practices in west Essex and Hertfordshire
- Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust
- Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (EPUT)
- Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
- Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- East of England Ambulance
- IC24 (111 provider)
- Out of hours providers (such as PELC, HUC)
- Essex County Council and their care providers (such as Essex Cares)
- Hertfordshire County Council
- Other local hospitals (such as Addenbrooke’s, Whipps Cross, Broomfield, East and North Hertfordshire and West Hertfordshire Trusts)
You can tell your care provider if you don’t want them to make your information available by completing a form available on www.mycarerecord.org.uk or by asking your care provider for one. Your record will be edited and no information will be available to access.
Health Records for Research Purposes
Your health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning.
You can choose to stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning.
The national data opt-out was introduced on 25 May 2018, enabling patients to opt out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs.
Patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time by using the online service at www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-mattersor by calling 0300 3035678.
Access to Your Information
My Care Record is simply a reflection of your individual records held by the organisations above and therefore you should contact them directly if you wish to have a copy of the information held about you. The contact details for each organisation’s Data Protection Officer or Team is below.
Contact details for data protection officers
- West Essex CCG on behalf of My Care Record
Building 3, Spencer Close, St Margaret’s Hospital, The Plain, Epping, CM16 6TN
Tel: 01992 566140
Email: [email protected] - Princess Alexandra Hospital
Medical Records Manager, The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Hamstel Road, Harlow, Essex, CM20 1QX
Tel: 01279 827341
Email: [email protected] - Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (EPUT)
Access to Records team, Mental Health Unit, Basildon Hospital, Nethermayne, Basildon, Essex, SS15 6NL
Tel: 01268 246873 / 246889 - Essex Social Care
Transparency Team, Essex County Council, PO Box 11, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1QH - Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Access to records, Hertfordshire community NHS Trust, Unit 1a, Howard Court, 14 Tewin Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1BW - Hertfordshire Social Care
Data Protection Team, Hertfordshire County Council, CHO150, County Hall, Pegs Lane,
Hertford, SG13 8DF - Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Records and Access to Information Team, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust,
99 Waverley Road, St Albans, AL3 5TL
Tel: 01727 804707 / 804228
Please contact your own General Practice directly for a copy of your GP record.
For further information on My Care Record please visit www.mycarerecord.org.uk.