NHS National Data ‘Opt Out’

Your Data Matters to the NHS

Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments.

In May 2018, the strict rules about how this data can and cannot be used were strengthened. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

How the NHS and care services use your information

Woolpit Health Centre  is one of many organisations working in the health and care system to improve care for patients and the public.

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency 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 may 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.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt out 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:

https://www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients/ (which covers health and care research); and

https://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.

Data being used or shared for purposes beyond individual care does not include your data being shared with insurance companies or used for marketing purposes and data would only be used in this way with your specific agreement.

Type 1 Opting out of the GP Data for Planning and Research (GPDDR) – Formally known as GPES

This means you do not wish for your data to be extracted from the GP clinical system and used for Planning and Research Purposes.

You can register a Type 1 Opt-out, for yourself or for a dependent (if you are the parent or legal guardian of the patient), by downloading the form from the link below and returning to the surgery.

Type 1 Opt Out Form

Important Update from NHS Digital – 19th July 2021

Patients do not need to register a Type 1 opt-out by 1 September to ensure their GP data will not be uploaded. The plan to retire Type 1 opt-outs will be deferred for at least 12 months while NHS Digital focus on the new arrangements and will not be implemented without consultation with the Royal College of General Practitioners, the British Medical Association  and the National Data Guardian

Type 2 National Data Opt Out

You can choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research and planninng by opting out your health data that this currently being held by any provider, not just your GP.

To opt out of your health data being used or shared by NHS Digital (Type 2), you can:

Call

The phone number is 0300 303 5678 – Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

​Write to 

National Data Opt Out
Contact Centre
NHS Digital
HM Government
7 and 8 Wellington Place
Leeds
LS1 4AP

​Email

enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk

​Online

https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice/ 

Please note – your GP Practice Team CANNOT opt you out of TYPE 2 – This must be actioned by you, the patient, as detailed above.

Patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time by using the online service at www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters or by clicking on “Your Health” in the NHS App, and selecting “Choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning”