11 Victoria Street Felixstowe Suffolk IP11 7EW
Records Management Policy
Records management Policy
This dental practice holds and maintains information about the business and its patients that is necessary for the efficient running of the practice and the effective provision of dental care. this policy describes the information that must be kept, how it must be stored, archived and disposed of to ensure that the practice complies with the requirements of data protections legislations
The practice confidentiality policy described the need for all members of the dental team to keep patients information confidential and practice procedures for handling information about patients; it must be followed always. The arrangements for keeping information safe are described in the practice Data Security Policy, which includes the measures for physical and electronic security.
The practice Privacy Notice for patients helps them understand how the practice uses and protects their personal information.
Retaining information
Information about the business and its patients is kept for no longer than required.
*Patient records are maintained and kept up to date while the individual remains a practice patients. When they cease to be a patient of the practice, their records are retained for ten years following their last visit to the practice or until age of 25, whichever is longer.
*Personnel and associate records are maintained and kept up to date whilst the individual works at the practice their records as an employee or self-employed contractor. Following their departure from the practice their records are retained for six years from the date of leaving the practice. Records relating to workplace accidents or injuries are retained indefinitely. Records for associates are kept up to eight years.
*Financial records are retained for at least six years.
*Business records, including contracts with suppliers, are retained for at least six years.
Secure storage
All members of the team must protect information held by the practice and store it securely. Information is only accessed on a need-to-know basis: where it is necessary to carry out required tasks; in the delivery of care to patients; or upon the direct instruction of a senior person within the practice.
For the records held electronically, access is password protected and restricted to those who, as part of their work duties, require the information. Electronic records are regularly backed-up by Ishita Poddar (Practice owner), Holli Duggan (practice manager) and the backups are stored off-site in a physically secure location.
Non-electronic (paper) records are stored in a location that is not accessible to patients, visitors to the practice or other members of the public. To ensure that patient record cards, financial information and personnel records are stored securely they must be kept in lockable cabinets at the end of each working day and the keys retained by Ishita Poddar and Holli Duggan.
Patient record cards are stored securely in a locked cupboard and access is restricted to members of the dental team.
Financial information and personnel records are stored securely in the practice managers office.
Archiving records
Where records need to be retained but are no longer required on a day-to-day basis, they are archived and stored securely. Records will be stored in a way that ensures easy identification and retrieval. The final decision on archiving information is taken by Ishita Poddar or Holli Duggan.
Electronic records that need to be retained but are not required on a day-to-day basis are, in the first instance, archived within the IT system. Where electronic storage space is at or neat capacity, archived electronic date will be copied onto a suitable electronic format with copies stored securely at the practice premises and off-site.
The practice has systems for reviewing archived information that is no longer needed. The system allow us to monitor archived information by setting up a calendar alert for the annual review of the various types of information held. Our personnel information is reviewed at the end of July and December of each year, patient records are reviewed in March and October.
Secure disposal of old records
Records that are no longer required are disposed of securely by shredding, pulping or incineration. The services of a professional contractor will be used where necessary; a certificate of confidential destruction is obtained and retained by the practice as evidence of DPA compliance.
Patient study models are disposed of as soon as they are no longer required, and at the latest at the same time as the records associated with the patient are disposed of. Patient information is erased from the study model and placed into a secure box and collected by our waste management company and a consignment note is given on collection.
Records held electronically and backups of electronic information are disposed of using the secure deletion option on the practice computer system.
The final decision of disposing records will be taken by Ishita Poddar or Holli Duggan.
Data Protection Privacy Notice
In providing your dental care and treatment, we will ask for information about you and your health. Occasionally, we may receive information from other providers who have been involved in providing your care. This privacy notice describes the type of personal information we hold, why we hold it and what we do with it.
About us
We are AW Brown Dental operating at 11 Victoria Street, Felixstowe IP11 7EW
Ishita Poddar (practice owner) is responsible for keeping secure the information about you that we hold. Those at the practice who have access to your information include dentists and other dental professionals involved with your care and treatment, the reception staff, nurses and the practice manager is responsible for the management and administration of the practice.
Our data protection officer, Ishita Poddar , ensures that the practice complies with data protection requirements to ensure that we collect, use, store and dispose of your information responsibly. You can contact our data protection officer, Ishita Poddar, by email awbrowndental-order@hotmail.co.uk or by phone on 01394 283849.
Information that we hold
We can only keep and use information for specific reasons set out in the law. If we want to keep and use information about your health, we can only do so in particular circumstances. Below, we describe the information we hold and why, and the lawful basis for collecting and using it.
Contact details
We hold personal information about you including your name, date of birth, national insurance number, NHS number, address, telephone number and email address. This information allows us to fulfil our contract with you to provide appointments. We will also use the information to send you reminders and recall appointments as we have a legitimate interest to ensure your continuing care and to make you aware of our services.
Dental records
We hold information about your dental and general health, including;
***Clinical records made by dentists and other dental professionals involved with your care and treatment
***X-rays, clinical photographs, digital scans of your mouth and teeth, and study models
***Medical and dental histories
***Treatment plans and consent
***Notes of conversations with you about your care
***Dates of your appointments
***Details of any complaints you have made and how these complaints were dealt with
***Correspondence with you and other health professionals or institutions.
We collect and use this information to allow us to fulfil our contract with you to discuss your treatment options and provide dental care that meets your needs. We also use this information for the legitimate interest of ensuring the quality of the treatment we provide.
Financial information
We hold information about the fees we have charged, the amounts you have paid and how you have paid. This information forms part of our contractual obligation to you to provide dental care and allows us to meet legal financial requirements.
Where your dental care is provided under the terms of the NHS, we are required to complete statutory forms to allow payments to be processed. This is an NHS requirement.
How we use your information
To provide you with the dental care and treatment that you need, we require up-to-date and accurate information about you.
We will share your information with the NHS in connection with your dental treatment.
We may contact you to conduct patient surveys or to find out if you are happy with the treatment you received for quality control purposes.
We will seek your preference for how we contact you about your dental care. Our usual methods are telephone, email or letter.
If we wish to use your information for dental research or dental education, we will discuss this with you and seek your consent. Depending on the purpose and if possible, we will anonymise your information. If this is not possible we will inform you and discuss your options.
Sharing information
Your information is normally used only by those working at the practice but there may be instances where we need to share it – for example, with:
**Your doctor
**The hospital or community dental services or other health professionals caring for you
**Specialist dental or medical services to which we may refer you
**NHS payment authorities
**The Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies, where you are claiming exemption or remission from NHS charges
**Dental laboratories
**Debt collection agencies
**Private dental schemes of which you are a member.
We will only disclose your information on a need-to-know basis and will limit any information that we share to the minimum necessary. We will let you know in advance if we send your medical information to another medical provider and we will give you the details of that provider at that time.
In certain circumstances or if required by law, we may need to disclose your information to a third party not connected with your health care, including HMRC or other law enforcement or government agencies.
Keeping your information safe
We store your personal information securely on our practice computer system [and/or] in a manual filing system. Your information cannot be accessed by those who do not work at the practice; only those working at the practice have access to your information. They understand their legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality and follow practice procedures to ensure this.
We take precautions to ensure security of the practice premises, the practice filing systems and computers.
We use high-quality specialist dental software to record and use your personal information safely and effectively. Our computer system has a secure audit trail and we back-up information routinely.
We use cloud computing facilities for storing some of your information. The practice has a rigorous agreement with our provider to ensure that we meet the obligations described in this policy and that we keep your information securely.
We keep your records for 10 years after the date of your last visit to the Practice or until you reach the age of 25 years [NI: 27 years], whichever is the longer. At your request, we will delete non-essential information (for example some contact details) before the end of this period.
Access to your information and other rights
You have a right to access the information that we hold about you and to receive a copy. We do not usually charge you for copies of your information; if we pass on a charge, we will explain the reasons.
You can also request us to;
**Correct any information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. If we have disclosed that information to a third party, we will let them know about the change.
**Erase some of the information we hold. For legal reasons, we may be unable to erase certain information (for example, information about your dental treatment). However, we can, if you ask us to, delete some contact details and other non-clinical information.
**Stop using your information – for example, sending you reminders for appointments or information about our service. Even if you have given us consent to send you marketing information, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
**Stop using information if you believe the information is inaccurate or you believe we are using your information illegally.
**Supply your information electronically to another dentist.
If we are relying on your consent to use your personal information for a particular purpose, you may withdraw your consent at any time and we will stop using your information for that purpose.
All requests should be made by email to our data protection officer Ishita Poddar or the practice manager at email address awbrowndental-order@hotmail.co.uk
If you do not agree
If you do not wish us to use your personal information as described, you should discuss the matter with your dentist. If you object to the way that we collect and use your information, we may not be able to continue to provide your dental care.
If you have any concerns about how we use your information and you do not feel able to discuss it with your dentist or anyone at the practice, you should contact The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF (0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745).
Access To Information
Access to information held by the practice
We may be asked to disclose information, documents or records held by the practice. Requests for personal information are made under data protection legislation and under freedom of information legislation for information about the NHS services provided by the practice.
Requests for personal information or for information about the practice that is not included in the practice information leaflet should be passed to Ishita Poddar/Holli Duggan.
This policy describes who can request information and how and the practice procedures for managing these requests.
Requests for personal information
Personal information is any information that allows an individual to be identified. This includes information where the individual is not named but a cross-reference to other information held by the practice would allow identification.
Data protection legislation allows individuals to request access to their personal information. Those eligible to request access include:
**A person aged 16 years or older for practices in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) OR 12 years or older for practices in Scotland
**The parents or guardians of a child under the age of 16 years and in connection with the health and welfare needs of the child
**A child under the age of 16 years who has the capacity to understand the information held by the practice. Children aged 11 years and under are deemed too young
**A third party, such as a solicitor, who has the written consent of individual concerned – checks should be undertaken to ensure that the consent is genuine – for example, by checking the patient’s signature or contacting the patient directly to confirm that they have given consent for the information to be disclosed.
If a request concerns information about a deceased person, those eligible to request access include:
The administrator or executor of the deceased person’s estate
A person who has a legal claim arising from the person’s death – the next of kin, for example. The person should explain why the information requested is relevant to their claim.
If the information requested includes information about third parties, it can be disclosed if the third party gives consent or is a health professional involved in the care of the patient.
The request
The request must be made in writing and describe the type of information required with dates, if possible, and include sufficient information to ensure correct identification (name, address, date of birth, for example). You must check that the person asking for information has the right to do so and, if necessary, ask for proof of identity.
We will provide the requested information within one month of receiving the request or confirming the individual’s identity.
The information
We will usually provide the information requested in electronic form using secure means, unless the individual asks for the information in paper format or otherwise agreed. The individual may also come to the practice to view the original version under supervision and on practice premises.
We will provide the information in a way that can be understood by the individual making the requests and may need to provide an explanation to accompany dental clinical notes.
Unfounded or excessive requests
Where requests are manifestly unfounded or excessive (particularly if they are repetitive), we can:
Charge a reasonable fee taking into account the administrative costs of providing the information; or
Refuse to respond.
If we refuse to respond to a request, we will explain the reasons and informing the individual of their right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office and to a judicial remedy.
Requests for information about the practice
Freedom of information legislation allows anyone to ask for information about the provision of NHS services. The available information is described fully in the practice guide to information available under FOIA and the model publication scheme. If the requested information is part of a larger document, we will disclose only the relevant part.
A freedom of information request cannot include clinical records or financial records.
The request
The request must be made in writing and should describe the of information that they want and with dates, if possible. The individual making the request does not have to give a reason.
The charges for information provided under a freedom of information request are included in the practice guide and the model publication scheme
We will provide Information within 20 working days of receiving the request or confirmation of identity or, if applicable, from the receipt of the fee.
[England, Wales and Northern Ireland only: it may be possible to extend this timescale if we need more information about the request or are taking legal advice on whether an exemption applies. We must inform the person making the request if we need to extend the 20-working-day deadline.]
The information
Most of the information covered by a freedom of information request is available in the practice information leaflet or on the practice website. Requests for other information should be referred to Ishita Poddar/ Jackie Prenticed. If we do not hold the information requested, we will inform the individual within the 20-working-day time limit.
We will provide information in a way that is convenient for the person who requested it, which may be in writing, by allowing the applicant to read it on the premises, or, if the information is held electronically, in a useable electronic format.
We are not required to respond to
Vexatious requests for information, for example, requests that are designed to cause inconvenience, harassment or expense.
Repeated requests for the same or similar information (unless the information changes regularly, for example performance or activity information)
In either situation, you should seek advice from Ishita Poddar / Holli Duggan.
Data Security Policy
Data Security Policy
This dental practice is committed to ensuring the security of personal data held by the practice. This policy is issued to all staff with access to personal data at the practice and will be given to new staff during their induction. If any member of the team has concerns about the security of personal data within the practice they should contact Holli Duggan, Practice Manager.
All members of the team must comply with this policy.
Confidentiality
All employment contracts and contracts for services contain a confidentiality clause, which includes a commitment to comply with the practice confidentiality policy.
Access to personal data is on a ‘need to know’ basis only. Access to information is monitored and breaches of security will be dealt with swiftly by Ishita Poddar (owner)
We have procedures in place to ensure that personal data is regularly reviewed, updated and, when no longer required, deleted in a confidential manner. For example, we keep patient records for at least 10 years or until the patient is aged 25 – whichever is the longer.
Physical security measures
Personal data is only removed from the practice premises in exceptional circumstances and when authorised by Ishita Poddar (owner). If personal data is taken from the premises it must never be left unattended in a car or in a public place.
Records are kept in a lockable fireproof cabinet, which is not easily accessible by patients and visitors to the practice
Efforts have been made to secure the practice against theft by, for example, the use of intruder alarms, lockable windows and doors
The practice has in place a business continuity plan in case of a disaster. This includes procedures for protecting and restoring personal data.
Information held on computer
Appropriate software controls are used to protect computerised records, for example the use of passwords and encryption. Passwords are only known to those who require access to the information, are changed on a regular basis and are not written down or kept near or on the computer for others to see.
Daily and weekly back-ups of computerised data are taken and stored in a fireproof container, off-site. Back-ups are also tested at prescribed intervals to ensure that the information being stored is usable should it be needed.
Staff using practice computers undertake computer training to avoid unintentional deletion or corruption of information.
Dental computer systems have a full audit trail facility preventing the erasure or overwriting of data. The system records details of any amendments made to data, who made them and when.
Precautions are taken to avoid loss of data through the introduction of computer viruses.
Data stored on cloud computing facilities has in place a rigorous service level agreement with our cloud provider to ensure that all our obligations in this policy are fulfilled and that all information is secure.
Loss of patient information
Any loss, damage to or unauthorised disclosure of patient information must be reported immediately to Ishita Poddar.
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