Information Governance

Privacy Policy

This page describes how the Trust uses and manages the information it holds about its patients, service users, staff and public members. This includes how the information may be shared with other NHS organisations and with non-NHS organisations, and how the confidentiality of information is maintained.

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has signed the Information Commissioner's Office 'Your Data Matters' pledge to demonstrate that we actively support individuals' personal data rights and we hope that you trust, and are confident in, our use of data. 

The Trusts Data Protection Registration number is Z5007118.

This Privacy Notice is tiered to help you find the level of information you require:

Tier One – Overview of information held and shared

Tier Two – Specifics of processing data, retention and your rights

Tier Three – Detailed information about the Data Protection Principles and DCHFT's lawful basis for processing

As part of the Trust's Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy, Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) are completed for any new systems, processes or data sharing to ensure that your information is processed lawfully, securely and using the minimum amount of data required to achieve the desired purposes.

Data Protection Impact Assessment Screening Questionnaire

Data Protection Impact Assessments

Please contact the Data Protection Officer by emailing informationgovernance@dchft.nhs.uk should you wish to see a DPIA for a specific system or data flow, requests will be considered on an individual basis.

You can also contact the Data Protection Officer if you wish to learn more about how we handle your personal data. The Trust has policies and procedures in place to support best practice with information security and data protection, and the Data Protection Officer will be happy to give you more information.

How the NHS and care services use your information for purposes beyond your individual care 

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending the Emergency Department or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service. Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

• improving the quality and standards of care provided
• research into the development of new treatments
• preventing illness and diseases
• monitoring safety
• planning services

This can only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law.  

Most of the time, anonymised data is used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information isn't needed. 

Click here to read the NHS Digital General Transparency Notice.

Click here to read how NHS Digital looks after your health and care information

National data opt-out

The Trust is compliant with the national data opt out policy and you have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used for research or planning. If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything.

If, however, as part of the national data opt-out, you do choose to opt out of this type of data sharing, your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters. On this web page you will: 

• see what is meant by confidential patient information
• find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care
• find out more about the benefits of sharing data
• understand more about who uses the data
• find out how your data is protected
• be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting
• find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone
• see the situations where the opt-out will not apply

You can also find out more about how patient information is used at www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients/ (which covers health and care research), and understandingpatientdata.org.uk/what-you-need-know (which covers how and why patient information is used, the safeguards and how decisions are made). 

You can change your mind about your choice at any time. 

Contact details

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Williams Avenue
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 2JY

Switchboard: 01305 251150

Patient Experience team
North Wing Level 1, Main Entrance
Open 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday

0800 7838058
pals@dchft.nhs.uk

Data Protection Officer
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Williams Avenue
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 2JY

informationgovernance@dchft.nhs.uk

We appreciate any feedback regarding our Privacy Policy and how easy it is to understand.

This Privacy Policy was last reviewed and updated February 2022.