The practice is committed to complying with the Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR 2018 by collecting, holding, maintaining and accessing data in an open and fair fashion.

The practice only keeps relevant information about employees for the purposes of employment, or about patients to provide them with safe and appropriate dental care. The practice does not process any relevant ‘sensitive personal data’ without prior informed consent. As defined by the Act, ‘sensitive personal data’ is that related to political opinion, racial or ethnic origin, membership of a trade union, the sexual life of the individual, physical or mental health or condition, religious or other beliefs of a similar nature. Sickness and accidents records are also kept confidential.

All manual and computerised records are kept in a secure place; they are regularly reviewed, updated and destroyed in a confidential manner when no longer required. Personnel records are only seen by appropriate management.

Patients’ records are only seen by appropriate team members. To facilitate patients’ health care, the personal information about them may be disclosed to a doctor, health care professional, hospital, NHS authorities, the Inland Revenue, the Benefits Agency (when claiming exemption or remission from NHS charges) or private dental schemes of which the patient is a member. In all cases, the information shared is only that which is relevant to the situation. In very limited cases, such as for identification purposes, or if required by law, information may have to be shared with a party not involved in the patient’s health care. In all other cases, information is not disclosed to such a third party without the patient’s written authority.

CRB/DBS check information is kept securely in a lockable, non-portable storage cabinet with access strictly controlled and limited to persons who need to have access to this information in the course of their duties.

Access to records

Patients and team members can have access to the original of the records kept about them free of charge. To receive a copy of all records kept about them by the practice, a team member or a patient should make a written request to the [Practice Manager] together with a payment of [£10] for a copy of computerised records or [£25] for manual records. The [Practice Manager] will provide a copy within a period of 40 days. An employee or a patient may challenge information held on record and following investigation should the information be inaccurate the practice will correct the information and inform the patient or the team member of the change in writing.