Privacy Notice
Introduction
Niall Patton MB ChB, MD, FRCOphth, Consultant Ophthamologist, Cataract and Vitreoretinal Surgeon (‘Niall Patton’) is committed to ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information, and to protect it from unauthorised access and disclosure.
The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to clearly communicate to you how Niall Patton handles your personal information to provide you with services, and to comply with legal obligations.
Niall Patton complies with the Data Protection Act (1998) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018. This means that your information is processed fairly and lawfully.
Personal information held by Niall Patton
· Past and current medical information
· Personal details such as your age, address, telephone and general practitioner
· Radiographs, clinical photographs & study models
· Information about treatment Niall Patton has provided and its cost
· Notes of conversations or incidents that might occur for which a record needs to be kept
· Records of consent to treatment
· Any correspondence relating to you with other health care professionals, for example with your hospital, your optometrist and other medical professionals you may have seen
Why this information is needed
This information is needed in order to keep accurate personal data about patients, to provide you with safe and appropriate medical care. Personal data about you needs to be processed for private insurance purposes and for the payment and accounting of private medical fees.
Retaining information
Niall Patton is required to retain your medical records while you are a patient under his care, and for at least eight years after conclusion of treatment, or until you are aged 25, whichever is longer.
Security
Your information is held on Niall Patton’s computer systems and in a secure manual filing system. The information is only accessible to authorised personnel bound by confidentiality agreements. It is securely protected and can only be accessed by regularly changed passwords. Data is encrypted and computer terminals are closed if unattended.
Information disclosure
Disclosure will take place on a 'need to know' basis, so that only those individuals/organisations who need to know in order to provide care to you will be given the information, and only information that the recipient needs to know will be disclosed. These individuals/organisations may include:
· Your general medical practitioner
· A hospital where you are receiving treatment from Niall Patton
· Your optometrist
· Other health professionals caring for you
· Private medical insurance schemes of which you are a member
In very limited circumstances or when required by law or a court order, personal data may have to be disclosed to a third party not connected with your health care. In all other situations, disclosure that is not covered by this code of practice will only occur when we have your specific consent. Where possible you will be informed of these requests for disclosure.
Subject Access Requests
Niall Patton is committed to facilitate the exercise of your rights as a data subject. You can find out if personal information is held for you by making a Subject Access Request (SAR). If any information is held about you, Niall Patton will:
· Give you a description of your personal information it holds about you and the purposes for which the information is being held
· Inform you of recipients or classes of recipients to whom it is or may be disclosed
· Let you have a copy of your personal information in an intelligible form
· Inform you as your right as a data subject, including the right to contact the ICO
To make a SAR to Niall Patton for any personal information held about you, or to make a complaint about privacy issues, you may address your request to Niall Patton, Data Controller at: PO Box 390, Knutsford, WA16 1BP.
If you believe personal information about you being held is incorrect you may submit a request to Niall Patton to correct any alleged mistakes through the contact details above.
Requests are free of charge, unless manifestly unfounded or excessive in which case Niall Patton will charge a reasonable fee. Request will be processed within one month of receipt but this might be extended to two months in case of a complex request or if the identity of the requestor cannot be verified.
Niall Patton, as a health care provider, is subject to legal and regulatory obligations which may limit or restrict the enforcement of your rights on some occasions.
Changes to this privacy notice
This privacy notice will be kept under review and any future changes will be posted on this page. Niall Patton reserves the right to make changes to this privacy notice at any time.
This document was last updated 15 May 2018.
© 2018, Niall Patton MB ChB, MD, FRCOphth