The data held in your GP medical records is shared with other healthcare professionals for the purposes of your individual care. It is also shared with other organisations to support health and care planning and research. More information can be found in our Privacy Notice.

If you do not want your confidential identifiable data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except your own care, you can register your opt out preferences at any time.

There are four types of opt outs for data sharing initiatives outlined below. We have developed a single Data Sharing Opt-Out Form to explain your options which you can download, complete and return to the partnership for us to record your preferences.

The SCR is a national database that holds a basic summary of information from your GP record, such as allergies and medications, which allows healthcare professionals outside of the practice to access your data should it be required. Examples include A&E doctors, paramedics or community nurses that will need to review your records to advance your care, especially in an emergency. You can also consent to sharing additional information from your record to assist in the provision of care.

To opt out of your data being shared in this way, please complete and return a Data Sharing Opt-Out Form.

CHIE allows healthcare organisations within Hampshire only, to have access to patient information to support treatment which may be required routinely and in an emergency. It allows sharing of hospital information such as test results and consultant correspondence for example, but is not available outside of Hampshire. Across Southampton and Hampshire GP records are held predominantly on two systems; CHIE ensures that community providers can see relevant information on one system so that they can plan individual patient care effectively.

To opt out of your data being shared in this way, please complete and return a Data Sharing Opt-Out Form.

The national data opt-out is a service that allows patients to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for research and planning.

Confidential patient information from your health records can be used for example to:

  • plan and improve health and care services
  • research and develop cures for serious illnesses

To opt out of your information being used for research and planning please register with the National Data Opt Out Service (NDO): National Data Opt Out or call 0300 3035678.

Your practice cannot register your preference for you. The NDO does not apply to anonymised data used for research purposes or data shared in relation to Covid-19.

If you do choose to opt out, your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

The data held in the GP medical records of patients is used every day to support health and care planning and research in England, helping to find better treatments and improve patient outcomes for everyone. For example patient data can help the NHS to:

  • monitor the long-term safety and effectiveness of care
  • plan how to deliver better health and care services
  • prevent the spread of infectious diseases
  • identify new treatments and medicines through health research

NHS Digital has developed a new way to collect this data, called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research.

GP practices are already required to share patient data for these purposes, but this new data collection will be more efficient and effective. This means that GPs can get on with looking after their patients, and NHS Digital can provide controlled access to patient data to the NHS and other organisations who need to use it, to improve health and care for everyone.

To opt out of your data being shared in this way, please complete and return a Data Sharing Opt-Out Form.

We are required by law to provide you with this Privacy Notice. It explains how we use the personal and healthcare information we collect, store and hold about you. If you are unclear about how we process or use your personal and healthcare information, or you have any questions about our Privacy Notice or any other issue regarding your personal and healthcare information, then please do contact our Data Protection Officer.

We also provide more accessible information on GDPR for under 16s.