Privacy Policy

How we use your information

This privacy notice explains why we as a private practice collect information about our patients and how we use that information.

LIPOMACYST manages patient information in accordance with existing laws and with guidance from private practices that govern the provision of healthcare in England such as the Department of Health and the General Medical Council.

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

• GDPR
• Data Protection Act 2018
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
• Health and Social Care Act 2012

As data controllers, clinicians have fair processing responsibilities under the GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018. In private practice, this means ensuring that your personal confidential data (PCD) is handled clearly and transparently, and in a reasonably expected way.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 changed the way that personal confidential data is processed, therefore it is important that our patients are aware of and understand these changes, and that you have an opportunity to object and know how to do so.

The health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received. These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.

Health records may be processed electronically, on paper or a mixture of both; a combination of working private practices and technology are used to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Records held by this private practice may include the following information:

• Details about you, such as address and next of kin
• Any contact the private practice has had with you
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details about treatment and care received
• Results of investigations, such as laboratory tests, x-rays, etc.
• Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you

The private practice collects and holds data for the sole purpose of providing healthcare services to our patients and we will ensure that the information is kept confidential. However, we can disclose personal information if:

1. It is required by law
2. You provide consent – either implicitly or for the sake of their own care, or explicitly for other purposes
3. It is justified to be in the public interest

Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we hold data centrally, we take strict and secure measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified.

Information may be used for clinical audit purposes to monitor the quality of service provided, and may be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this we ensure that patient records cannot be identified.

Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for clinical research purposes – the private practice will always endeavour to gain your consent before releasing the information.

Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare providers with the objective of providing you with better care.

Patients can choose to withdraw their consent to their data being used in this way. When the private practice is about to participate in any new data-sharing scheme we will make patients aware by displaying prominent notices in the private practice and on our website at least four weeks before the scheme is due to start. We will also explain clearly what you have to do to ‘opt-out’ of each new scheme.

A patient can object to their personal information being shared with other health care providers but if this limits the treatment that you can receive then the doctor will explain this to you at the time.

Private practice Website

Our Website uses cookies to optimise your experience. The ‘Remember my details’ feature on our online prescription form uses first party cookies on your computer to store your information. This information is only used to remember your details and is never passed to any third party (cookies must be enabled for this to work).

Using this feature means that you agree to the use of cookies as required by the EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC. You have the option to decline the use of cookies on your first visit to the website.

Risk Stratification

Risk stratification is a process for identifying and managing patients who are at high risk of requiring emergency or urgent care. Typically this is because patients have a long term condition such as COPD, cancer or other medical condition at risk of sudden worsening.

Information about you is collected from a number of sources including NHS Trusts and from this private practice. A risk score is then arrived at through an analysis of your de-identified information using the software as the data processor and is provided back in an identifiable form to your doctor or member of your care team as data controller.

Risk stratification enables your doctor to focus on preventing ill health and not just the treatment of sickness. If necessary, your doctormay be able to offer you additional services.

Please note that you have the right to opt out of Risk Stratification.

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed, or wish to opt out of any data collection at the private practice, please contact the private practice, or your healthcare professional to discuss how the disclosure of your personal information can be limited.

Patients have the right to change their minds and reverse a previous decision. Please contact the private practice, if you change your mind regarding any previous choice.

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 the GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018 (which is overseen by the Information Commissioner’s Office), Human Rights Act, the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality.

All of our staff, contractors and committee members receive appropriate and regular training to ensure they are aware of their personal responsibilities and have legal and contractual obligations to uphold confidentiality, enforceable through disciplinary procedures. Only a limited number of authorised staff have access to personal information where it is appropriate to their role and is strictly on a need-to-know basis.

We maintain our duty of confidentiality to you at all times. 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), or where the law requires information to be passed on.

Who are our partner clinical organisations?

We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following private practices:

• NHS Trusts
• Specialist Trusts
• Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
• Private Sector Providers
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Ambulance Trusts
• Clinical Commissioning Groups
• Social Care Services
• Local Authorities
• Education Services
• Fire and Rescue Services
• Police
• Other ‘data processors’

Access to personal information

You have a right under the GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018 to access/view information the private practice holds about you, and to have it amended or removed should it be inaccurate. This is known as ‘the right of subject access’. If we do hold information about you we will:

• give you a description of it
• tell you why we are holding it
• tell you who it could be disclosed to
• let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form

If you would like to make a ‘subject access request’, please contact the Registered Manager in writing. There may be a charge for this service. Any changes to this notice will be published on our website and on the private practice notice board.

The private practice is registered as a data controller under the GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018.

Change of Details

It is important that you tell the person treating you 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 so our records are accurate and up to date for you.

Notification

The GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018 requires private practices 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. The private practice is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

Who is the Data Controller?

The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential is DR KHALED SADEK. Any changes to this notice will be published on our website and displayed in prominent notices in the private practice.

The Private practice is registered as a data controller under the GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018.