To provide you with safe, effective healthcare, Beech Tree Surgery needs to hold personal information about you on our secure clinical computer system and, where necessary, in paper records. We are responsible for making sure your information is accurate, kept up to date and stored safely.
Please help us keep your record accurate by letting us know if any of your personal details change.
Who Can See Your Information?
Only doctors and practice staff who are directly involved in your care can access your medical record. They can see the information they need in order to do their job safely and effectively. All staff are trained in confidentiality and are bound by legal and contractual duties to keep your information private.
Sometimes we may need to share information with other organisations involved in your care, such as hospitals, community services or other NHS providers. We only share what is necessary and lawful to support your healthcare.
How Your Information Is Protected
Your information is stored securely on our clinical system and protected by appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. Paper records are kept in secure areas. We take confidentiality extremely seriously and work hard to prevent accidental loss, misuse or unauthorised access.
When Information May Be Shared Without Consent
We are sometimes legally required to share information, for example:
- If requested by a court order
- To support public health efforts (such as notification of infectious diseases)
- To safeguard children or vulnerable adults
- When there is a serious risk to you or another person
We will only share the minimum necessary information and only when the law requires it.
Telephone, Email and Third-Party Requests
To protect your confidentiality, we will not disclose information over the phone or email unless we are certain that we are speaking to you. We will not give information to family members, friends or carers unless we have your written consent. We also avoid leaving messages with others.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access your medical record (Subject Access Request)
- Request corrections if information is inaccurate
- Object to certain types of processing
- Ask questions about how your data is used
Please ask at reception, or see our full Privacy Notice, for more details.