Phoenix Dental Practice complies with the Data Protection Act 2018 and this policy describes our procedures for ensuring that personal information about patients is processed fairly and lawfully.
In order to provide you with a high standard of dental care and attention, we need to hold personal information about you. This personal data comprises:
1. Your past and current medical and dental condition; personal details such as your age, national insurance number/NHS number, address, telephone number and your general medical practitioner
2. Radiographs, clinical photographs and study models
3. Information about the treatment that we have provided or propose to provide and its cost
4. Notes of conversations/incidents that might occur for which a record needs to be kept
5. Records of consent to treatment
6. Any correspondence relating to you with your GP or other health care professionals
Personal data about you is held in the practice’s computer system and/or in a manual filing system. The information is not accessible to the public and only authorised members of staff have access to it. Our computer system has secure audit trails and we back up information routinely.
We will retain your dental records while you are a practice patient and after you cease to be a patient, for at least 11 years or for children until the age of 25, whichever is the longer.
In order to provide proper and safe dental care, we may need to disclose personal information about you to your GP and other health professionals, NHS authorities, Inland Revenue, the Benefits Agency or any private dental schemes you are a member of. We will not share your data with anyone else without your consent.
Disclosure will take place on a ‘need-to-know’ basis, so that only those individuals/organisations who need to know in order to provide care to you and for the proper administration of Government (whose personnel are covered by strict confidentiality rules) will be given the information.
In very limited circumstances or when required by law or a court order, personal data may have to be disclosed to a third party not connected with your health care. In all other situations, disclosure that is not covered by this Code of Practice will only occur when we have your specific consent.
You have the right to confidentiality under the Data Protection Act 2018, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the common law duty of confidence (the Equality Act 2010 may also apply).
We also comply with the NHS Code of Practice on Confidentiality and we have a requirement under their professional Code of Ethics to keep records about you confidential, secure and accurate. All of our staff contracts of employment contain a requirement to keep patient information confidential.
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Phoenix Dental Palmers Green
Site Last Updated October 2024
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