St Andrews Surgery has a legal duty to explain how we use any personal information we collect about you at the organisation. We collect records about your health and the treatment you receive in both electronic and paper format.

Using your information and how it is shared:

• We will share relevant information from your medical record with other health or social care staff or organisations when they provide you with care.
• Healthcare staff working in A&E and out of hours care will also have access to your information.
• Registering for NHS care: all patients who receive NHS care are registered on a national database (NHS Spine). The Spine is held and maintained by NHS Digital, a national organisation which has legal responsibilities to collect NHS data.
• Your medical records will be searched by a computer programme so that we can identify patients who might be at high risk from certain diseases, such as heart disease or unplanned admissions to hospital. This means we can offer patients additional care or support as early as possible.
• Sometimes we need to share information so other people, including healthcare staff, children or others with safeguarding needs, are protected from risk of harm. These circumstances are rare, and we do not need your consent or agreement to do this.
• For medical research when the law allows us to do so, for example to learn more about why people get ill and what treatments might work best. We will also use your medical records to carry out research within the Practice.
• For national clinical audits so healthcare can be checked and reviewed. Information from medical records can help doctors and other healthcare workers to measure and check the quality of care that is provided to you.

If you would like access to your medical records enabled or would like to opt out of the local or national summary care record, please contact reception or complete the opt-out form below.