Subject Access Request (personal information) - West Hertfordshire ...

Your Information What you need to knowYour Information What you need to knowWhat will it cost?A standard fee that is set by law of £10 will be charged foraccess to any personal information held in manual healthrecords or computer records. If the request is for a copy ofinformation held manually, for example health records orx-rays, then up to a legal maximum fee of £50 will becharged to recover costs incurred by the Trust. This fee,subject to the maximum, is at the discretion of the Trust.Watford General Hospital St Albans City Hospital Hemel Hempstead Hospitalwhat is in them, you should be offered an appointmentwith a member of the health staff.No fee will be charged to view a record, where at leastpart of that record, was made or added to within 40 days,prior to receipt of a subject access request.How long will it take?You should be given access to your records within 40 daysof the Trust receiving your application, providing you haveincluded all the relevant information.How will your records be shown to you?Once you have been given access, you can either make anappointment to look at your records (or the part of yourrecords you wish to see) or you can be provided with acopy.Who will be there?Your appointment to view your records will be supervisedby a non-medical member of staff without a healthprofessional being there. If you then have questions aboutCan you change your records?If you think the record is inaccurate you can ask for it tobe corrected. The Trust is not obliged to make yourcorrections (unless the record is factually incorrect), but anote about why you think the information is inaccuratewill be added to your records.Can you be refused access?You can be refused access to records, or part of them if:• your doctor thinks you, or someone else could beseriously harmed as a result• the information relates to, or was provided by, anidentified individual, apart from the patient or healthprofessional, who has refused to consent to thedisclosure of the information• you are applying on behalf of someone who has died oris no longer capable of managing their own affairs, butwho originally gave the information on theunderstanding that it wouldn’t be revealed later3 4

Your Information What you need to knowYour Information What you need to knowHow your records are used to help the NHSYour information may also be used to help us:• look after the health of the general public• pay your GP, dentist and hospital for the care they provide• audit NHS accounts and services• investigate complaints, legal claims or untoward incidents• make sure our services can meet patient needs in the future• prepare statistics on NHS performance• review the care we provide to ensure it is of the highest standard• conduct health research and developmentSome of this information will be held centrally, but where thisis used for statistical purposes stringent measures are taken toensure that individual patients cannot be identified.Anonymous statistical information may also be passed toorganisations with a legitimate interest.Where it is not possible to use anonymised information,personally identifiable information may be used for essentialNHS purposes. These may include research and auditingservices. This will only be done with your consent, unless thelaw requires information to be passed on to improve publichealth.Who are our partner organisations?The principal partner organisations that we may shareinformation with are:• Health Authorities• NHS Trusts• Primary Care Trusts• General Practitioners (GPs)• Ambulance Services• Voluntary Services• Social ServicesHow we keep your records confidentialEveryone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keepinformation about you confidential.If you are receiving care from other people as well as the NHS(like Social Services), we may need to share some informationabout you so we can all work together for your benefit. Wewill only ever use or pass on information about you if othersinvolved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will notdisclose your information to third parties without yourpermission unless there are exceptional circumstances, such aswhen the health or safety of others is at risk or where the lawrequires information to be passed on.Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legalduty to keep it confidential.We are required by law to report certain information to theappropriate authoritiesThis might include:• notification of new births• where we encounter infectious diseases which mayendanger the safety of others, such as meningitis ormeasles (but not HIV/AIDS)• where a formal court order has been issued.5 6

If you require further detailed information relating to howyour information is used, please contact the Trust’s InformationGovernance and Data Protection Manager.Our guiding principle is that we hold your records in strictconfidence.If you would like a large print version of this leaflet or for aleaflet in a language other than English please ring PALS on01923 217198If you were/are being treated at Watford Hospital, please write to:Access to Health Records AdministratorLitigations and Claims DepartmentAdmin BlockWest Hertfordshire Hospital NHS TrustVicarage Road, WatfordHertfordshire WD18 0HBTel: 01923 217881If you were/are being treated at St Albans or Hemel HempsteadHospitals, please write to:Access to Health Records AdministratorQE Block Level 1West Hertfordshire Hospital NHS TrustHillfield Road, Hemel HempsteadHertfordshire HP2 4ADTel: 01442 287407www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/patients© Designed by Medical Illustration, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS TrustNov 2010. Ref: 52189. Version 6. Review date: November 2013.