Connected Care (Berkshire)
Dear Bracknell Forest Borough Council,
I would like to make a request under the FOI Act.
For the purposes of the Act, please take the date of your receipt of this request as 9th March 2016.
I am interested in the relationship between your organisation and the Connected Care clinical data repository (Graphnet 3rd party database), which I will refer to as "CC" in this FOI request, and as mentioned in this article:
http://www.digitalhealth.net/shared_care...
I wondered if you were one of the "6 local authorities" mentioned in that report.
• Please could you tell me whether your organisation is already extracting and uploading personal confidential data about patients/clients to the CC database?
• If not commenced already, do you have plans to commence feeds into the CC database at anytime between now and 31st March 2017?
If the answer to both of the above is no, then thank you very much, ignore the remainder of this request, and please consider my request closed.
However, if your organisation is already uploading, or is planning to before March 31st 2017, then please can you provide me with the following:
• Any and all fair processing information (posters/leaflets/handouts) made available, or planning to be made available, to patients/clients informing them of this new use of their data
• Any and all policies on the implementation of CC feeds by your organisation
• The types/nature of information that you are, or will be, extracting and uploading to the CC database
I am aware of the opt-out arrangements available at contributing GP surgeries. However, I am interested in how patients can (or if they cannot) prohibit your organisation from extracting and uploading information to the CC database in the first place (processing of their data which would have no purpose or justification if they have already opted-out at their GP surgery).
• Please could you tell me process available to patients to express dissent to *you*, for this type of processing of their data, and so block extraction uploading of all their personal confidential data to the CC database by your organisation (in line with the DPA and NHS Constitution)
• Please could you tell me whether the data controller for the CC database informs you when patients have opted out of having a CC record (e.g. having opted out at their GP surgery), which would in theory allow you to switch of the feed to the CC database for that patient's information
I would be grateful if you would be kind enough to send me the requested information promptly and in any event not later than the twentieth working day following the date of receipt of my request.
I would be grateful if you would kindly acknowledge receipt of this request as recommended by the ICO (“It would be good practice to acknowledge receipt of requests and to refer to the 20 working day time limit, so that applicants know their request is being dealt with”).
Thank you once again.
Kind regards,
Dr Neil Bhatia
*** This message has been classified as UNRESTRICTED ***
Dear Dr Neil Bhatia
Thank you for your request for information, below, which was received by the Council on 09/03/2016 and I will deal with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The FOI Act obliges us to respond to requests promptly, and in any case no later than 20 working days (by 08/04/2016) unless it is necessary to consider the public interest, in which case a full response must be provided within such a time as is reasonable in the circumstances and I will write to you again if this occurs.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future correspondence.
Yours sincerely
Information Compliance Team
Legal Services
Corporate Services Department
Bracknell Forest Council
Tel: 01344 352000
Email: [Bracknell Forest Borough Council request email]
Web: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk
*** This message has been classified as UNRESTRICTED ***
From: [email address]>
Sent: 6^th April 2016
Dear Dr Neil Bhatia
I am writing to confirm that the council has completed the processing of
your request for information which was received on 9^th March 2016.
Please find below a copy of your request, followed by the Council’s
response.
REQUEST AND RESPONSE
I am interested in the relationship between your organisation and the
Connected Care clinical data repository (Graphnet 3rd party database),
which I will refer to as "CC" in this FOI request, and as mentioned in
this article:
[1]http://www.digitalhealth.net/shared_care...
I wondered if you were one of the "6 local authorities" mentioned in that
report.
Please could you tell me whether your organisation is already extracting
and uploading personal confidential data about patients/clients to the CC
database? We are not
If not commenced already, do you have plans to commence feeds into the CC
database at any time between now and 31st March 2017?
The answer is unknown at this stage as we have not begun the
implementation planning
If the answer to both of the above is no, then thank you very much,
ignore the remainder of this request, and please consider my request
closed.
However, if your organisation is already uploading, or is planning to
before March 31st 2017, then please can you provide me with the following:
Any and all fair processing information (posters/leaflets/handouts) made
available, or planning to be made available, to patients/clients informing
them of this new use of their data
Any and all policies on the implementation of CC feeds by your
organisation
The types/nature of information that you are, or will be, extracting and
uploading to the CC database
I am aware of the opt-out arrangements available at contributing GP
surgeries. However, I am interested in how patients can (or if they
cannot) prohibit your organisation from extracting and uploading
information to the CC database in the first place (processing of
their data which would have no purpose or justification if they have
already opted-out at their GP surgery).
Please could you tell me process available to patients to express dissent
to *you*, for this type of processing of their data, and so block
extraction uploading of all their personal confidential data to the CC
database by your organisation (in line with the DPA and NHS Constitution)
Please could you tell me whether the data controller for the CC database
informs you when patients have opted out of having a CC record (e.g.
having opted out at their GP surgery), which would in theory allow you to
switch of the feed to the CC database for that patient's information
If you have any queries about this matter please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision,
you should use the Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure which
can be found at
http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/comme....
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commission can be
contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Sent on behalf of;
Simon Heard
Solicitor
Information Compliance Team
Legal Services
Easthampstead House
Town Square
Bracknell
Berks
RG12 1AQ
Tel: 01344 352000
DD Tel: 01344 353107
Email: [Bracknell Forest Borough Council request email]
References
Visible links
1. http://www.digitalhealth.net/shared_care...
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Dr Neil Bhatia left an annotation ()
More information about NHS data sharing, including:
• care.data
• The Summary Care Record,
• The Hampshire Health Record
• The Berkshire Health Record (Connected Care)
• The Manchester Care Record
• The Stockport Health and Care Record
• The Salford Integrated Record
• The West Cheshire Care Record
• The North Staffs and Stoke-on-Trent Shared Record
• The Dorset Care Record
• Secondary uses of your information
• Local data streaming initiatives
can be found at:
www.nhsdatasharing.info