Patient medical information

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Your Medical Information

A guide to what you need to know about why we collect information about you, how it is used to treat you and how we keep it secure.

Why We Collect Information About You

Your doctor and other health care professionals (e.g. nurse or physiotherapist) caring for you keep records about your health and treatment so that they are able to provide you with the best possible care. These records are called your ‘Medical Record’.

Your Medical Record may be stored in paper and/or on computer systems and include information such as:

• Your name, address, telephone numbers, date of birth, next of kin, emergency contacts, ethnicity, disability, language preference, religion
• Details of your hospital appointments and admissions
• Details about treatments and/or procedures you have undergone at St. Michael’s Hospice (the Hospice) or potentially at other organisations
• Results of investigations such as laboratory and X-Ray results

How Your Medical Record Is Used To Help You

• Health care professionals looking after you have accurate and up-to-date information about you to help them assess and decide on the care you may require now and in the future
• Full information is available should you see a different doctor or are referred to another part of the Hospice or other organisations for ongoing treatment
• Your information may be shared with Hospice services to support you during your time in the Hospice such as Chaplaincy & Dietetics etc.
• The quality of care you received can be assessed
• Any complaints can be properly investigated

How Your Medical Record Is Used To Help the Hospice

• Auditing of Hospice services
• Service planning to ensure we meet the needs of our population now and in the future
• Preparing statistics on our performance for the Care Quality Commission
• Teaching and training health care professionals

Your Rights

If you do not want your identifiable data shared as described above, you have the right to object and have this objection noted.  Please contact St. Michael’s Hospice on 01256 844744 or email info@stmichaelshospice.org.uk and we will ensure that the relevant field on our Patient Administration System is completed to prevent any information that identifies you from being processed in this way.

How We Keep Your Records Confidential

Everyone working at the Hospice has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential; however, from time to time there may be a need to share some relevant health information with other health care professionals so that they can work together to obtain the best possible care for you. We will only ever share relevant information in the best interest for your care.

We will not disclose any information to third parties without your consent unless there are exceptional circumstances or a legal requirement. These may be institutions where the health and safety of others is at risk or where the law permits information to be passed on.

We are obliged to report certain information to other agencies. Occasions when we must pass on information include but this is not an exhaustive list:

• Looking after the health of the general public, e.g. notifying central NHS groups of outbreaks of infectious diseases
• Where a formal court order has been published
• Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 doctors, nurses and midwives are able to pass on information in the public interest to police if they believe that someone may be seriously harmed or death may occur if the police are not informed
• Where there are adult and child protection safeguarding concerns

Anyone who receives information from us also has a legal duty to keep it confidential.

Who Are Our Partner Organisations?

The principal partner organisations with which relevant information may be shared include:

• Clinical Commissioning Groups
• St. Michael’s Home Care
• General Practitioners
• Community Nurses
• Ambulance Services

Relevant information may also be shared with the organisations listed below to benefit your treatment or with your consent:

• Social Services
• Local Authorities
• Voluntary Sector Providers such as patient groups or health charities
• Private Sector Providers

How You Can Arrange To See Your Own Medical Records

The Data Protection Act 1998 entitles you to find out what information is contained in your Medical Record. If you would like access to or copies of your records please write to or email St. Michael’s Hospice (details below). Please note that there is normally a charge for administration costs.

You should be aware that in certain circumstances, your right to see some details in your Medical Record may be limited in your own best interests or for together reasons such as not revealing third party information.

You have a right to request that any inaccuracies be corrected or annotated.

St. Michael’s Hospice (North Hampshire)
Basil de Ferranti House
Aldermaston Road
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 9NB
Telephone: 01256 844744

Email: info@stmichaelshospice.org.uk

Further Information

St. Michael’s Hospice has a legal obligation to ensure your information is accurate and up to date. If any of the information held about you is incorrect please contact St. Michael’s Hospice at the address above, or by email on info@stmichaelshospice.org.uk, or by telephone on 01256 844744.

We are committed to making our publications as accessible as possible. If you need this document in an alternative format, for example, large print, Braille or a language other than English, please contact the Quality and Governance at the contact details above.

Published by: Quality and Governance Department
St. Michael’s Hospice (North Hampshire)
Basil de Ferranti House
Aldermaston Road
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 9NB

Telephone: 01256 844744

Issue Date: October 2016