Information sharing

Who do we share information with and why?

The trust is required to protect personal information and inform you of how personal information will be used.

The trust provides health care services and personal information that can be shared as part of providing a health care service.

Personal information you provide to the trust in confidence will only be used for the purposes explained to you.

The trust does share information with consent, but importantly can also use information about you where there is another legal basis to do so.

We may need to share relevant personal information with other NHS or Non-NHS Organisations.

Approved research

For approved medical research. In most instances the information will be made anonymous so that you cannot be identified. If this is not possible, we will ask for your consent to participate or request approval from the Health Research Authority. Should you not wish information about you to be used for research please speak to your clinical team who are treating you.

Third parties

The trust may be required by law to share information provided to us. The trust would not disclose any health information to third parties without your explicit consent, however there may be circumstances where the law permits or requires us to share.

Where appropriate the trust will notify you of this sharing. The trust may be required by law to share information provided to us with other bodies these may be, but not limited to:

• Those responsible for auditing or administering public funds, to prevent and detect fraud.
• Disclosure under a court order
• Sharing with the Care Quality Commission for inspection purposes
• Police for the prevention or detection of crime or where there is an overriding public interest to prevent abuse or serious harm to others and other public bodies

Other NHS organisations

Sharing personal information with other NHS Organisations would be for the purpose of healthcare.

These authorities would be:

• NHS England
• Public Health England
• Other NHS Trusts
• General Practitioners (GPs)
• Ambulance Services
• Primary Care Agencies.

This may also include those contracted to provide service to the NHS to support your healthcare needs.

Sharing personal information with Non-NHS Organisations from which you may be receiving care could include Social Services or private care homes.

My Care Record (Buckinghamshire)

If you are registered with a Buckinghamshire GP, the Trust shares information about you with other health and care organisations that may be involved in your care as part of the Buckinghamshire My Care Record programme.

My Care Record is a programme of work to help make sure that health and care professionals involved in your treatment and care can securely access up-to-date information about you to help them make the right choices about the care and medical attention you need.

For more information about My Care Record:

Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Record (BSW ICR)

Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Record (BSW ICR) is a digital care record system for sharing information in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. It allows instant, secure access to your health and social care records for the professionals involved in your care.

Relevant information from your digital records is shared with people who look after you. This gives them up-to-date information making your care safer and more efficient.

Oxford Health NHSFT uses the system in the following way:

• We can access your data stored within the system and provide relevant information about you and your health.

For more information about BSW ICR and how your information is being used:

National Data Opt Out

The Trust is one of many organisations working in the health and care system to improve care for patients and the public.

The information collected about you when you are using NHS services can be provided to other approved organisations, where there is a legal basis, to help with planning services, improving care provided, research into developing new treatments and preventing illness.

This helps to provide better health care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential personal information about your health and care is only used in this way where allowed by law and would never be used for insurance or marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

Your choice

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way.

You can find out more about the wider use of confidential personal information and to register your choice to opt out by visiting: