We will keep your records secure

This practice complies with the Data Protection Act (1998) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018. This means that we will ensure that your information is processed fairly and lawfully.

What personal information do we hold?

• Your past and current medical and dental condition; personal details such as your age, national insurance number/NHS number, address, telephone number and your general medical practitioner
• Radiographs, clinical photographs and study models
• Information about the treatment that we have provided or propose 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, e.ghospital or community services.

Why do we hold this information?

We need to keep accurate personal data about patients and staff member in order to provide you with safe and appropriate dental care and services.  We also need to process personal data about you if we are providing care under NHS arrangements and to ensure the proper management and administration of the NHS.

Retaining information

We are required to retain your dental records, X rays and study models while you are a patient or staff member of this practice and after you cease to be a patient/employee, for at least eleven years, or for children until age 25, whichever is the longer

Security

Your information is held in the practice’s computer system and/or in a manual filing system.  The information is only accessible to authorised team members and Care Quality Commission Inspectors.  Our computer system has been secured with audit trails and information is regularly backed up to ensure it is not lost.

We may need to disclose your information

In order to provide proper and safe dental care to:

• Your general medical practitioner
• The hospital or community dental services
• Other health professionals caring for you
• NHS payment authorities
• The Inland Revenue
• The Benefits Agency, where you are claiming exemption or remission from NHS charges
• Private dental schemes of which you are a member.

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 and for the proper administration of Government (whose personnel are covered by strict confidentiality rules) will be given the information.  Only that information that the recipient needs to know will be disclosed.

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.