In order to provide a healthcare service, we need to collect and use personal information for a range of purposes. Primarily, we collect data for healthcare and administration purposes. For example, a health professional will record details such as patient’s treatment as this is essential information in order to provide a healthcare service. Patient consent will be sought whether this is implied or explicit.

There are some cases where it is necessary and a legal requirement to process personal information even without the consent of service user or staff member. DLP respects patient choice and will respect an individual’s request to withhold information from someone or an agency unless there is a legal requirement to disclose the information.

Other purposes for data collection and usage may include;

• Staff Administration, i.e. pay, discipline, work management
• Service improvement purposes, i.e. patient satisfaction survey
• Training purposes to ensure staff are adequately trained to carry out their role
• To conduct an investigation in response to a complaint or police enquiry
• Accounts and records, i.e. keeping accounts related to business activity, customers, financial management, responding to freedom of information requests.
• Research purposes, i.e. health or scientific research (any published data will always be anonymous)
• Performance monitoring and analysis to help us assess the quality of standard of our healthcare services.