NHS Direct

Personal information

When you call NHS Direct, we’ll ask you to provide some basic information about yourself and explain why you are calling.

This personal information includes your:

Name
Address
Telephone number
Ethnicity
GP's name

Why does NHS Direct need personal information?
How is patient information kept?
Will NHS Direct staff keep patient records confidential?
What if I do not want to give NHS Direct any personal information?
Are there laws that manage the use of personal information and privacy?
How is information used for training, audit and research?
Can I have access to my NHS Direct patient records?
Does NHS Direct share patient information with anyone else?
What if I do not want my information to be used?

Why does NHS Direct need personal information?

We need your information to:

Create an accurate patient record for you
Make sure we have the right information when you call the service again
Help staff review the care they provide to ensure it’s of the highest standard
Carry out health research and development
Investigate complaints, legal claims or untoward incidents

We may use the information to contact you for feedback on the care you received. We will also collect extra information about anyone under 16 years old. This is important information that helps us to safeguard children.

Your information is important because it enables us to provide the best possible service. You should let us know if there are any changes to your personal information. This allows us to keep your records up to date and accurate.

The NHS also needs this information to help it:

Manage the service effectively
Account for its actions
Protect the health of the public
Plan for the future

NHS Direct may use your information to contact you for feedback on the care you received.

How is patient information kept?

We record all calls – to and from NHS Direct. The calls and the records we create are stored on a computer system and are stored securely.

We make sure that nobody has access to your information who shouldn’t.

Will NHS Direct staff keep patient records confidential?

Yes - everybody who works for the NHS has a legal duty to keep patient information confidential.

All of our advisors receive training in confidentiality during their induction training programme. Everyone working at NHS Direct has to comply with confidentiality by the terms and conditions of their employment contract.

However, in special cases, information might be shared if the safety of the patient or someone else is judged to be at risk or if there is a legal requirement to do so.

What if I do not want to give NHS Direct any personal information?

Your information is important because it helps us to provide safe and effective care.

However, you can decide how much information you wish to give NHS Direct. And you can use the service anonymously if you want to.

Are there laws that manage the use of personal information and privacy?

Yes - the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act.

The Data Protection Act regulates the processing of personal data and contains eight principles. One of these is that information must be processed ‘fairly and lawfully’. This means you have a right to know how NHS Direct intends to use the information you provide.

The Human Rights Act grants you the right to privacy. This applies across the whole of the NHS.

How is information used for training, audit and research?

To ensure we provide the best possible service, we review patient records and listen to anonymised calls as part of staff training and development and quality assurance. Call review enables staff to learn from the expertise and experience of their colleagues.

Only anonymised data will be used for audit and research purposes. Anonymised means that it is impossible to tell who the information is about.

All NHS research is approved by a group of ethics experts before it is carried out.

Can I have access to my NHS Direct patient records?

Yes - you have a right of access to the information NHS Direct holds about you on your records. If you let NHS Direct know about any information that is inaccurate or incorrect, we will correct it.

A charge of £10 is usually made for a copy of your patient records, which we will provide after we have checked your identity. In certain circumstances, your right to see some details in your patient records may be limited for your own interest or for other reasons.

If you would like a copy of your records, you can write to the National Caldicott Guardian at NHS Direct. The Caldicott Guardian is a senior health professional appointed to ensure patient information is kept safe at all times.

The contact address is:

National Caldicott Guardian
NHS Direct
National Clinical Governance Team
Marlborough Court
Sunrise Parkway
Linford Wood East
Milton Keynes
MK14 6DY

Does NHS Direct share patient information with anyone else?

There are times when NHS Direct may need to share some of the information about you with another health professional, to ensure you get the best possible care. We will always ask your permission before we do this, unless there is a very important reason why we were unable to.

Occasionally, a patient may have a condition or problem that NHS Direct staff need to know about to ensure they provide the best care they can. The patient will be asked if this information can be stored on NHS Direct’s records. In exceptional circumstances it may be recorded without permission if failure to do so would put the patient or someone else at risk.

When information is needed to manage the wider health service, careful measures are taken to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified. Anyone who receives information from NHS Direct is under a legal duty to keep it confidential. NHS Direct will need your specific permission to pass on your information to relatives, friends or carers.

Sometimes the law requires NHS Direct to pass on information. For example, to protect public health or as part of a police investigation.

Information is only provided after formal permission has been given by a qualified health professional.