General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new law that determines how your personal data is processed and kept safe, and the legal rights that you have in relation to your own data.

The regulation applies from 25th May 2018, and still applies after the UK leaves the EU.

Under the General Data Protection Regulations, from 25^th May 2018 patients have the right to apply to see, or have a copy, of their health records.  When this regulation is introduced there will be no charge for these requests except in specific circumstances, such as if the requests are manifestly unfounded, excessive or numerous.

To inform the patients of what GDPR means, we have prepared these information leaflets to help patients to understand;

• What is GDPR
• What ‘patient data’ means
• What ‘consent’ means and why they will be asked for it.

Download our GDPR information leaflet (PDF)

Download our Privacy & Fair Processing information leaflet (PDF)

What GDPR will mean for patients

The GDPR sets out the key principles about processing personal data, for staff or patients:

• Data must be process lawfully, fairly and transparently
• It must be collected for specific, explicit and legitimate purposes
• It must be limited to what is necessary for the purposes for which it is processed
• Information must be accurate and kept up to date
• Data must be held securely
• It can only be retained for as long as is necessary for the reasons it was collected

There are also stronger rights for patients regarding the information that practices hold about them.  These include;

• Being informed about how their data is used
• Patients to have access to their own data
• Patients can ask to have incorrect information changed
• Restrict how their data is used
• Move their patient data from one health organisaton to another
• The right to object to their patient information being processed (in certain circumstances)

What is GDPR?

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulations and is a new piece of legislation that will supersede the Data Protection Act. It will not only apply to the UK and EU; it covers anywhere in the world in which data about EU citizens is processed.

The GDPR is similar to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 (which the practice already complies with), but strengthens many of the DPA’s principles. The main changes are:

• Practices must comply with subject access requests
• Where we need your consent to process data, this consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous
• There are new, special protections for patient data
• The Information Commissioner’s Office must be notified within 72 hours of a data breach
• Higher fines for data breaches – up to 20 million euros

What is 'patient data'?

Patient data is information that relates to a single person, such as his/her diagnosis, name, age, earlier medical history etc. 

What is consent?

Consent is permission from a patient – an individual’s consent is defined as “any freely given specific and informed indication of his wishes by which the data subject signifies his agreement to personal data relating to him being processed.”

The changes in GDPR mean that we must get explicit permission from patients when using their data. This is to protect your right to privacy, and we may ask you to provide consent to do certain things, like contact you or record certain information about you for your clinical records. Individuals also have the right to withdraw their consent at any time.

Who to contact regarding Data Protection matters

Practice Manager
The Glebe Family Practice
Vicarage Road
Gillingham
Kent
ME7 5UA