How we use your Health Records

This leaflet explains:

• Why we collect information about you and how it is used,
• Your right to see your health records,
• How we keep your records confidential.

1) Why we Collect Information about you.

Home Eye Clinic keeps records about your health and any treatment and care you receive from us.

These records help to ensure that you receive the best possible care. They may be written down

(manual records) or held on computer. These records may include:

• Basic details about you, such as address, date of birth.
• Contact we have had with you such as eye examinations.
• Notes and reports about your health
• Details and records about your treatment and care.

Some of this information will be held centrally to be used for statistical purposes. In these instances we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified. This information will only be used with your consent, unless the law requires us to pass on the information.

2) How your Records are used.

Your records are used to guide and administer the care you receive to ensure that:

• Your optometrist or other eyecare professional involved in your care has accurate and up-todate information to assess your health and decide the most appropriate care for you
• Your concerns can be properly investigated if a complaint is raised. We will ensure that appropriate information is available if you see another optometrist, or are referred to a specialist, your GP or another part of the NHS. You have a right of access to the information we hold about you on our records:
• Your request must be made in writing to the Data Controller at the address below.
• There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you.
• We are required to respond to you within 40 days
• You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth etc.,) so that your identity can be verified and your records located If you think anything is inaccurate or incorrect, please let us know.

4) How your Records May be used to Help Others.

Your information may also be used in the following ways:

  * To help protect the health of the public
  * To help us manage the practice by being used to:
  * To pay your optometrist for the care you receive
  * To audit accounts and services
  * To investigate patient queries, complaints and legal claims
  * To make sure our services can meet patients’ needs in the future
  * To prepare statistics on our performance
  * To review the care we provide to ensure it is of the highest standards

The following will be with your consent:

• To help in health research and development
• To help teach healthcare professionals

5) Copying Letter to Patients.

Patients now have a right to a copy of any letter written about them from one healthcare professional to another. If you would like to receive a copy of your letter inform the optometrist during your appointment.

6) Freedom of Information Act 2000.

If you want any information about the organisation, which is not personal data, please ask a member of staff or write to us.

7) How we keep your Records Confidential.

Everyone working for us has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS (e.g. Social Services). We may need to share some information about you with them so we can all work together for your benefit. We will only ever pass information about you to them if:

• They have a genuine need for it
• We have your permission

We will not disclose your information to a third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as when the health and safety of others is at risk or if the law requires us to pass on information.

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

Our Guiding Principle is that we are Holding your Records in Strict Confidence

8) What Happens after a Sight Test?

• If you need glasses, we will give you (or your carer or guardian) a copy of your prescription.
• If you do not need glasses, we will give you (or your carer or guardian) a statement telling you this.
• If you need a report for your employer or other organisation, we will give the report to you to pass on. If the report has to be sent directly, we will only do so with your written permission.

We may share information with the following main partner organisations:

• Health Authorities
• NHS Trusts
• General Practitioners (GPs)

We may also share your information, subject to strict agreement about how it will be used, with:

• Social Services
• Education Services
• Local Authorities
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Private Sector Providers

10) Notification.

The Data Protection Act 1998 requires practices which store personal information to lodge a notification with the Information Commissioner to describe the purposes for which they process personal information.

The details are publicly available from the Information Commissioner's office at:

Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625545745 Fax: 01625524510

Alternatively see the Information Commissioner's website on the internet:

www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

11) Who is the data Controller?

The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information confidential is:

Miss S.Mustafa
Home Eye Clinic Ltd
Unit 2, Urban House
41 Landor St
Birmingham
B8 1AE