How Your Personal Information is used by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (CHSFT) is an Acute Hospital Trust that provides a range of acute inpatient healthcare services for the people living in Sunderland.
For more information see our website http://www.stsft.nhs.uk
STSFT is a registered Data Controller. Information Commissioner Office (ICO) registration number ZA513650
This Privacy Notice explains why we need, how we use and share your information, how we protect it and how long we will keep it. We will continually review and update this Privacy Notice to reflect changes in our services and feedback from service users, as well as to comply with changes in the law.
Why do you need my information?
As a patient, relative or carer, we need your information to be able to identify you and to ensure that we can give you the correct treatment. We need to keep a record of the treatment you have had and who has helped you.
The information we keep about you helps all the staff in the hospital or in the community who provide your care to ensure that you get the best possible care and treatment
What information do you hold about me?
We will hold:
- Your name
- Your date of birth
- Your current and previous addresses
- The name and address of your nearest relative
- Information about your health problems
- Other information about you and your family and who you live with
- Your occupation
- What is important to you
- How do you store my information?
- We keep your information in both paper records and on computers.
- How long will you keep my information?
The law requires us to keep your information for set amounts of time after we have finished seeing you. This will be dependent upon the treatment you have had.
- If you are an adult when we start seeing you, we will keep your information for 8 years from the date we last see you.
- We keep records of pregnancy for 25 years after the birth of the last child.
- If you are a child/young person, then we will keep your information until you reach the age of 25
- Some records are kept longer than this depending upon what they are about. Please ask if you are unsure how long we will keep your records.
Who will you share my information with?
We will share your information will all those who will provide you with care, including;
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Other hospitals
- Ambulance services
- Social workers
- Teachers
- Local councils
- Voluntary services
- Nursing homes
- Clinical Commissioning groups
- NHS England
We will always try to tell you who we will be sharing your information with.
How do you make sure my information is safe and secure?
- We will use your information in a way that follows data protection laws and Trust policies and procedures.
- Everyone working for the NHS must keep your information secure and only look at it when they are providing you with care and treatment.
- We make sure that paper records are kept locked away when not in use.
- We make sure that our computers do not let anyone see information about you unless they are the staff that are helping you.
How do you protect my privacy/confidentiality?
We protect your information by following data protection laws:
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016
- Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018
Can I have a copy of my information?
You can have a copy of the information we hold about you. There is no charge for the first copy we give you and we will give it to you within 30 days where we can.
If you have a lot of records, we may take a little longer but we will always tell you about this.
To ask for a copy, please contact:
If you live in Sunderland
Enquiries Office
Medical Records Department
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
Sunderland Royal Hospital
Kayll Road
Sunderland
SR4 7TP
Or email: accesstomedicalrecords@chsft.nhs.uk
If you live in South Tyneside or Gateshead
Access to Records Team
Medical Records Department
Ingham Wing
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
Harton Lane
South Shields
NE34 0PL
Or email: accesstomedicalrecords@stft.nhs.uk
Can I have my records changed if they are wrong?
We must make sure that the information in your records is correct. If the information is factually wrong then we will change or remove it. However, if it is factually correct but you don’t agree with it, we will not change it but we will ensure that the fact you disagree with it is recorded.
Can I have my records deleted or destroyed?
The Trust is required by law to keep records about you and the treatment we have given you. We can only delete or destroy these records if they have reached the end of the period that we have to keep them for, the record is factually wrong or we shouldn’t have collected the information in the first place.
Can I ask you to stop using my records?
You can ask us not to use your records for some purposes, such as training or research and we will not use them.
You can ask us not to share your records with others who would provide you with care, though this may impact on the care that they can provide and unless it is essential to share the information we will not share it.
Who should I contact if I have a question?
If you have any questions about how the Trust uses your information please speak to the Doctors or Nurses or other staff providing your care.
You can also contact the Trusts Data Protection Officer or Caldicott Guardian
Data Protection Officer
The Trust’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) is responsible for ensuring that the Trust complies with Data Protection legislation. The DPO is the person to contact if you would like to know more about how we use your information, require information in any accessible format or language or if (for any reason) you do not wish to have your information used in any of the ways described. Their contact details are:
James Carroll
Data Protection Officer
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
Room 264 Trust Headquarters
Sunderland Royal Hospital
Kayall Road
Sunderland
SR4 7TP
Or email: stsft.dpo@nhs.net
Caldicott Guardian
The Caldicott Guardian is the person who makes the final decision on how, what, when and why personal information will be processed in/by the Trust.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust Caldicott Guardian is Dr Paul McAndrew, Deputy Medical Director.
For independent advice about data protection, privacy and information-sharing issues, or to make a complaint you can contact the Information Commissioner:
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow,
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
Website: www.ico.org.uk
