USE OF PATIENT INFORMATION BY THE CNWL TALKING THERAPIES (IAPT) SERVICE

What information is collected by the service?

We collect details about you, which includes your name, date of birth, address, contact details and next of kin. We cross check this information using NHS Spine in order to ensure that the information we gather is accurate. We also gather information about your physical and mental health from your referral information, and what your GP may provide about you based on their records. Our records are held securely on our patient electronic database IAPTUS and are accessed by staff who are involved in your care. Patient information can only be accessed for an appropriate reason such as direct involvement in your care, or making decisions around your care and this is also recorded on our systems.

In order to ensure we provide the best care for you, we may access information held by other NHS healthcare providers that we work closely with (such as your GP, or other CNWL or partner services). This will only be for an appropriate reason, such as to make decisions about your care and any systems accessed will record this.

How is the information used?

The information we hold is shared with other health professionals involved in your care such as your GP and other health professionals supporting you, so that you get the best possible help. Some of the information collected is reported nationally to give a picture of services delivered across the country, to check that quality standards are similar everywhere.  No information that could reveal a patient’s identity is used in national reports. These reports only show summary numbers of, for instance, patients receiving different types of treatments and it is impossible to identify any person seen by any IAPT service from them.

The information collected is used to check that:

  • services are available to those who need them
  • an appropriate range of evidence-based treatments is provided
  • patients achieve positive outcomes from treatment.

National reports offer huge service delivery benefits by checking, for example, numbers of referrals received, time taken to access services, the type of treatments used, the outcomes of those treatments and patient feedback. Also, under the Equality Act 2010, the NHS has to monitor personal characteristics and check everyone has equal access to services and is not discriminated against in any way.

As part of our service provision, we are required to provide information to NHS Digital who use this data for research and planning. You have the right to opt-out of your confidential patient information being used by NHS Digital.

If you wish to do so please visit the following website: https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/ 

Alternatively, you can call 0300 303 5678 to opt out.

How we keep your information safe?

Our service stores and transfers all information safely and securely and sends national reporting information safely to a secure central data storage area. All data collected is subject to the strict rules of confidentiality, laid down by Acts of Parliament, including the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Health and Social Care Act 2001 and the NHS Care Record Guarantee.