Everyone has the right to privacy.

Patients registered for GMS services endow the GP with the right to know about the patient's personal and medical care needs, and the care being provided within the NHS. (GMS Contract, and Red Book).

Information recorded about a patient by a community or hospital care service provider, at the direction of the GP or patient is protected by the principles of confidentiality and the legal right of privacy.

Health Intelligence Ltd provides the CDRIntell service and holds data as a 'Data Bureau'. Health Intelligence does not process the information or use it in any way other than for the explicate purposes agreed within its Contract with the PCT.

CDRIntell enables all of the medical records about a patient (from hospital, community and primary care sectors) to be combined and communicated back to the GP. The practice may then wish to make use of this information to (i) update their records (ii) review the gaps in care to the patient (iii) arrange actions (with or without CDRIntell) to address these gaps.

A patient may consent to having their records shared within CDRIntell for specific programme purposes. In such cases, CDRIntell serves to enable participating hospitals and community outreach services to acquire the relevant information needed about the current patients that have consented to participating in this programme.

Patients who consent to having their records shared within CDRIntell for specific programme purposes immediately receives the right to review their records held within CDRIntell via their GP Practice. The Practice is responsible for making suitable arrangements for this review to be undertaken.

The patient's legal right to privacy holds precedence over all other considerations. Personal information cannot be used outside of the contract of clinical care without the patient's explicit consent.

(Data Protection Act 1998, Health and Social Care Act (section 60) 2001).

All patient data is maintained in an environment, which meets the NHS's prescribed security standards.

CDRIntell operates on the NHSnet/N3 and measures are taken routinely within the CDRIntell environment to protect the data against corruption, loss, and misuse.

Healthcare professionals are given a username and password to CDRIntell, which will enables them to access information concerning patient care. However, the need to protect the patient's privacy is paramount.

Our role is to ensure that the patient's privacy is protected whilst doing everything reasonable to enable all relevant patient records being communicated in the best interests of the patient.