Armadale
18 North Street, ArmadaleEH48 3QB
Tel: 01501 730432
Blackridge
Blackridge Health CentreFleming Place, Blackridge, EH48 3SS
Tel: 01501 751238
Your Personal Information...
To provide you with the care you need, we hold details of your consultations, illnesses, tests, prescriptions and other treatments that have been recorded by everyone involved in your care and treatment, e.g. GP, Health Visitor, and Practice Nurse. This information may be stored on paper or electronically on computer files by Practice staff.
We sometimes disclose some of your personal health information with other organisations involved in your care, e.g. when your GP refers you to a specialist at the hospital we will send relevant details about you in the referral letter. Our Practice also participates in regional and national programmes such as the cervical cytology screening service and your name and address, date of birth and health number will be given to them in order to send an invitation to you.
We need to use some of your personal health information for administrative purposes. In order to receive payment for services provided to you, we have to disclose basic details about you to the NHS Board responsible for this area and to the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service. These organisations have a role in protecting public funds, and are authorised to check that payments are being properly made. We are required to co-operate with these checks and the disclosure of your data is a necessary part of our provision of healthcare services.
Sometimes, we may participate in studies that are designed to improve the way services are provided to you or to check that our performance meets required standards and benchmarks. Whenever we take part in activities such as these we will ensure that as far as possible any details that may identify you are not disclosed.
We are sometimes involved in health research and the teaching of student nurses, doctors and other health professionals. We will not disclose your personal health information for these purposes unless you have been informed beforehand and given your consent for us to do so.
Where you need a service jointly provided with a local authority we will seek your permission before giving them your details.
Sometimes we are required by law to pass on information, e.g. the notification of births and deaths.
Our use of your personal health information is covered by a duty of confidentiality and is regulated by Data Protection Regulations. Data Protection Regulations gives you a number of rights in relation to how your personal information is used, including a right to access the information we hold about you. Armadale Group Medical Practice is registered with the Data Protection Agency.
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential and adheres to a Code of Practice on Protecting Patient Confidentiality. Further information on this can be found at www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/ig.aspx. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.
If you have any queries or concerns on how we use your personal health information or would like to access your information, please contact our Practice Manager.
Contact Details of Practice's Health Board:
NHS Lothian
Pentland House, Ground Floor
47 Robb's Loan
Edinburgh EH14 1TY
Tel: 0131 537 8423
DataLoch Research Programme
This GP practice has agreed to take part in the DataLoch research programme. Both your GP practice and NHS Lothian are the data controller for the DataLoch programme (Data is only hosted within NHS Lothian), and are working in partnership with the University of Edinburgh. The aims of the DataLoch programme are to support research for the benefit of local residents in the South-East Scotland region. A Data Sharing Agreement is in place that covers the sharing of patient data with DataLoch, and all approved research is anonymous.
In line with data protection legislation, the legal basis that permits processing of patient data is:
- 6(1)(e) – processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
- 9(2)(j) – Processing is necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest, or scientific and historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1)
The DataLoch website covers the researcher data, public enquiries, and newsletter subscriptions for which the University of Edinburgh is the Data Controller: https://dataloch.org/privacy-notice
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will take effect from 25th May 2018. Please click here for our data protection notice.
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 requires Scottish public authorities to produce and maintain a publication scheme. Authorities are under a legal obligation to:
- Publish the classes of information they make routinely available
- Tell the public how to access the information and what it might cost
Armadale Group Practice has adopted the Model Publication Scheme 2013 produced by the Scottish Information Commissioner and a copy of this is available from the Practice.
Health Data Collection and Health Observatory
Click here to view more information on "Health Data Collection and Health Observatory"
Practice involvement in health research
Why do research?
As a practice, we feel that research is essential for NHS progress and can be of considerable benefit for individual patients and the public as a whole.
What is research?
Research can involve a range of activities, from filling in a questionnaire or being interviewed, to testing a new drug or procedure. Each study will explain, in detail, what is required.
How do you choose who to invite?
This practice takes part in research studies with the help of experienced NHS staff who access patient’s medical records solely for the purpose of identifying and inviting patients to take part in research studies. Each study will be looking for different patient ‘groups’ based on set study criteria. No personal identifiable data is removed from the NHS or provided to any researchers without specific consent from patients.
Do I have to take part in research?
If you receive an invitation to take part in research, you are not obliged to take part. If you don’t want to be contacted about research studies at all, please let the reception staff or your GP know.