Privacy Notice for Patients

Darton Surgery collects, stores and uses large amounts of personal data every day, such as medical records, personal records and computerised information.  This data is used by many people in the course of their work.  This privacy notices explains how we process your personal data.

Dr Gerald Eko is the data controller of the personal data and is responsibile for complying with data protection legislation. 

Our registered address is Darton Health Centre, Church Street, Darton, Barnsley S75 5HQ.

We date our duty to protect your personal information and confidentiality very seriously and we are committed to taking all reasonable measures to ensure the confidentiality and security of personal data for which we are responsibile, whether computerised or on paper.

We have a Data Protection Officer who ensures that the organisation is accountable and compliant with the UK General Data Protection (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data Use and Access Act 2025.

The Data Protection Officer is the Practice Manager

What information do we collect about you?

The health and social care professionals caring for you keep records about your health and any treatment and care you receive.  These records help to ensure that you receive the best possible care.  They may be written down in paper records or held on computer.  These records may include:

Basic details about you such as name,address, date of birth, next of kin etc

Details of your lifestyle and social circumstances

Contacts we have had with you such as appointments or clinic visits

Notes and reports about your health, treatment and care

Results of x-rays, scans and laboratory tests

Relevant information from people who care for you and know you well such as health professionals and relatives

Visual images, personal appearance and behaviour, for example if CCTV images are used as part of building security

Offences including alleged offences, criminal proceedings, outcomes and sentences

We may also process sensitive categories of information that may include:

racial and ethnic origin

political opinions

religious or philosphical beliefs

health information

sex life or sexual orientation

It is essential that your details are accurate and up to date.  Always check that your personal details are correct when you visit us and information us of any changes as soon as possible.

Using your personal data: the legal basis and purpose

We will use your personal data to direct, manage and deliver the care you receive to ensure that:

The health and social care professionals involved in your care have accurate and up to date information to assess your health and decide on the most appropriate care for you.

Health and social care professionals have the information they need to be able to assess and improve the quality and type of care you receive.

Appropriate information is available if you see another healthcare professional, or are referred to a specialist or another part of the NHS.

Your Information will also be used to help us manage the NHS

Review the care we proved to ensure that it is of the highest standard and quality.

Manage the health servies and ensure our services can meet further patient needs.

Ensure our organisation receives payment for the care that you receive.

Prepare statistics on NHS performance.

Audit NHS accounts and services

Investigate patient queries, complaints and legal claims

Helping to train and educate healthcare professionals

This processing is necessary to perform a public task (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e))and necessary for the provision of health or social care treatment (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h)).

Who do we share personal information with?

Everyone working within the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.  Similarly, anyone who receives information from us has a legal duty to keep it confidential.

We may share information with the following organisations:

Other NHS organisations and hospitals that are involved in your care

Integrated Care Board and other NHS Bodies (see below)

General Practitioners (GPs)

Ambulance services

Social care services

Education services

Local authorities

Voluntary and private sector providers working with the NHS

Yorkshire and Humber Care Record

We participate in the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record.  The Yorkshire and Humber Care Record is a shared system that allows staff within the Yorkshire and Humber Health and Social Care community appropriately accfess the most up to date and correct information about patients, to deliver the best possible care.  Organisations participating in the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record incude:

GP Practices

Acute hospitals

Community healthcare

Mental Health Trusts

Hospices

Adult and children's social care services

This processing is necessary to perform a public task (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e)) and ncessary for the provision of health or social care treatment (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h)).

The Yorkshire and Humber Care Record Guarantee is our commitment that we will use records about you in ways that respect your rights and promote your health and wellbeing.

If you would like any further information, or would like to discuss this further, please contact the YHCR team using these details:

Via Post:    Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, Trust HQ, Willerby Hill, Willerby Road, Hull HU10 6ED

Via emai:   hnf-tr.yhcr@nhs.net

Call Recording

Our organisation operates call recording on some telephone lines.  Recordings are used for verification purposes, including:

To support clinical practice

To provide delivery of training

To check the quality of the service provided

For complaints and investigations

This processing is necessary to perform a public task (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e)) and necessary for the provision of health or social care treatment (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h)).

Your Rights

We will ensure that your rights are respected.  You have the right to:

Be informed - we will tell you what we do with your information.  We do this through notices like this, service information leaflets, notices on our websites and posters.

Rectification - we will correct any personal information if it is inaccurate or rectify any data that is incomplete.

Object - you have the right to object to how we process your information.  Your objection will be considered in relation to the particular situation.  We will sotp processing unless there is a legitimate reason for us not to e.g. we need to process your data to provide you with safe care

Restrict processing - we will temporarily restrict processing your data whilst we check the information, if you query the accuracy of it.  We will also restrict processing (if you raise an objection to how we process your data) whilst we consider your objection.

Access - you can ask for copies of information we hold about you.  This is called a subject access request.

National Data Opt-Out

Information may only be used for purposes beyond your care when there is a clear legal basis to use this information.  All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations.  Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where it is allowed by law.

Most of the time anonymised data is used for reasarch and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential information isnt needed.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way.  If you are happy with this use of information, you do not need to do anything.  If you do choose to opt-out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

You can find out more about how patient information is used for research at Patient information and health and care research - Health Research Authority (hra.nhs.uk) (which covers health and care research); and https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/what-you-need-to-know which covers how and why patient information is used, the safeguards and how decisions are made)

You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

Data being used or shared for purposes beyond individual care does not include your data being shared with insurance companies or used for marketing purpose and data would only be used in this way with your specific agreement.

Health and care organisations had until 2020 to put systems and processes in place so that can apply your national data opt-out choice to any confidential patient information they use or share for purposes beyond your individual care.  Our organisation is compliant with the national data opt-out policy.

How you can access your records

The Data Protection legislation gives you the right to access the information we hold about you in our records.  Requests must be made in writing to the Practice.  We will provide your information to you 30 calendar days from receipt of:

A completed application form containing adequate supporting information to enable us to verify your identity and locate your records,

An indication of what information you are requesting, to enable us to locate it in an efficient manner.

Please contact the Practice on 01226 219123 to request an application form to make a Subject Access request.

Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides any person with the right to obtain information held by Darton Surgery subject to exemptions.  Please contact the practice to make a request.

How long we keep your information

All records held by the NHS are subject to the Records Management Code of Practice (the Code).  The Code sets out best practice guidance on how long we should keep your patient information before we are able to review and securely dispose of it.

Complaints

If you have any concerns about how we have handled your data you can contact the reception and request information about the practice complaints procedure. 

Additionally you have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

Helpline: 0303 123 1113 or report online at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/handling/

Date Published: 15th August, 2025
Date Last Updated: 15th August, 2025