You may want to prevent confidential information about you from being shared or used for any purpose other than providing your care.

There are two choices available to you:
• You can object to information about you leaving a GP practice in an identifiable form for purposes other than your direct care, which means confidential information about you will not be shared with other organisation for any non-direct care purpose. This is referred to as a ‘type 1′ objection; or
• You can object to information about you leaving NHS Digital in identifiable form, which means confidential information about you will not be sent to anyone outside NHS Digital. This is referred to as a ‘type 2′ objection.

National Data Opt-Out Programme in the context of research
NWAS is one of many organisations working in the NHS to improve care for patients and the public. Whenever you use a health or care service important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service. The information collected about you when you use NWAS services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:
• improving the quality and standards of care provided
• research into the development of new treatments
• preventing illness and diseases
• monitoring safety
• planning services.

This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this, where allowed by law. You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt-out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care. Most of the time, anonymised data is used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information isn’t needed. To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters. NWAS comply with the national data opt-out policy.

The Practice will add the appropriate code to your records to prevent your confidential information from being used for non-direct care purposes. Please note that these codes can be overridden in special circumstances required by law, such as a civil emergency or a public health emergency.

If you do not want your personal confidential information to be shared outside of NHS Digital, for purposes other than for your direct care you can register a type 2 opt-out with your GP practice. Patients are only able to register the opt-out at their GP practice.

For further information and support relating to type 2 opt-outs please contact NHS Digital contact centre at [email protected] referencing ‘Type 2 opt-outs — Data requests’ in the subject line; alternatively, call NHS Digital on (0300) 303 5678; or visit their website.

In both cases, it is still necessary for NHS Digital to hold information about you in order to ensure data is managed in accordance with your expressed wishes. Please see “Patient Objections Management” on NHS Digital website for further information.

If you have questions about this, please speak to staff at your GP practice, check NHS Digital frequently asked questions, or call their dedicated patient information line on 0300 456 3531.

Information may be withheld if the organisation believes that releasing the information to you could cause serious harm to your physical or mental health. We do not have to tell you that information has been withheld.

Information may also be withheld if another person (i.e. third party) is identified in the record, and they do not want their information disclosed to you. However, if the other person was acting in their professional capacity in caring for you, in normal circumstances they could not prevent you from having access to that information.

We have a duty to ensure your information is accurate and up to date to ensure that we have the correct contact and treatment details for you.

If your information is not accurate and up-to-date, you can ask us to correct the record. If we agree that the information is inaccurate or incomplete, it will be corrected. If we do not agree that the information is inaccurate, we will ensure that a note is made in the record of the point you have drawn to the organisation’s attention.

If you would like to know more about how we use your information, or if (for any reason) you do not wish to have your information used in any of the ways described above, please contact:
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (Data Protection Officer)
Ladybridge Hall Headquarters
Chorley New Road
Bolton
BL1 5DD

Tel: 01204 498400
Email: [email protected]

For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data-sharing issues, you can contact:
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Phone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
Website: www.ico.org.uk