Benefits of sharing information Introduction In future, where the NHS deems it appropriate, it will be extracting Sharing information can help improve understanding, locally and data from to collate information which nationally, of the most important health needs and the quality of the patients’ computerised notes they hope will help to improve the services offered and the care treatment and care provided by local health services. It may also provided to everyone. help researchers by supporting studies that identify patterns in diseases, responses to different treatments and potential solutions. In order to plan and improve care for all patients it is important that Information will also help to: the NHS links information from the different places where patients receive care to help them provide a full picture find more effective ways of preventing, treating and managing illnesses; Although the type of information shared, and how it is shared will be guide local decisions about changes that are needed to controlled by law and strict confidentiality rules, as a practice we will respond to the needs of local patients; have no choice but to allow this extraction from our clinical systems. support public health by anticipating risks of particular diseases and conditions, and help us to take action to prevent The information extracted will be stored on computers outside the problems; practice. improve the understanding of the outcomes of care, public’s giving them confidence in health and care services; and Your postcode or NHS number, rather than your name, will be used guide decisions about how to manage NHS resources so that to link your records in a secure system, so your identity will be they can best support the treatment and management of protected. illness for the benefit of patients. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning services, to make What will the NHS do with the information? sure the NHS provides the best care possible for everyone. Only the minimum amount of information needed to help improve It is important that you know this is happening and the choices you patient care and the services will be extracted. have. The NHS has developed a thorough process that must be followed before any information can be shared and will follow strict rules about how it is stored and used.
Introduction In future, where the NHS deems it appropriate, it will be extracting data from patients’ computerised notes to collate information which they hope will help to improve the services offered and the care provided to everyone. In order to plan and improve care for all patients it is important that the NHS links information from the different places where patients receive care to help them provide a full picture Although the type of information shared, and how it is shared will be controlled by law and strict confidentiality rules, as a practice we will have no choice but to allow this extraction from our clinical systems. The information extracted will be stored on computers outside the practice. Your postcode or NHS number, rather than your name, will be used to link your records in a secure system, so your identity will be protected. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning services, to make sure the NHS provides the best care possible for everyone. It is important that you know this is happening and the choices you have. Benefits of sharing information Sharing information can help improve understanding, locally and nationally, of the most important health needs and the quality of the treatment and care provided by local health services. It may also help researchers by supporting studies that identify patterns in diseases, responses to different treatments and potential solutions. Information will also help to: find more effective ways of preventing, treating and managing illnesses; guide local decisions about changes that are needed to respond to the needs of local patients; support public health by anticipating risks of particular diseases and conditions, and help us to take action to prevent problems; improve the public’s understanding of the outcomes of care, giving them confidence in health and care services; and guide decisions about how to manage NHS resources so that they can best support the treatment and management of illness for the benefit of patients. What will the NHS do with the information? Only the minimum amount of information needed to help improve patient care and the services will be extracted. The NHS has developed a thorough process that must be followed before any information can be shared and will follow strict rules about how it is stored and used.
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