What is care.data?

In order to improve healthcare across the country, NHS England have commissioned the care.data service. This is an automated information extraction process and requires the participation of all GP practices. Despite confidentiality laws, under certain circumstances personal and confidential data can be collected if it is in the public’s interest.

Care.data will use information from your medical records for secure research in order to improve healthcare, services and quality of care.

What data will be extracted?

The care.data service does not need to extract your whole GP record. Only the minimum amount of information required will be used. The data to be extracted from GP systems will include:

• DOB
• Postcode
• NHS number
• Gender
• Referrals
• NHS prescriptions
• Other clinical data

Your forename and surname will not be collected.

I have already opted out of the Summary Care Record (SCR), is this the same as the Care.data service?

No. The Summary Care Record and care.data services are completely separate. If you have already opted out of the Summary Care Record, you will still need to opt out of the care.data service using one of our opt out forms available at reception. Please refer to the ‘Summary Care Record’ tab on the homepage for more information about how to opt out of the Summary Care Record.

Further Information

If you would like more information about the care.data service, please visit http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/tsd/care-data/ or contact the surgery