PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 67
General Practice Data For Planning and Research (GPDPR): What Is It? From 1 September 2021, the NHS will start preparing to upload the data of 55 million patients from GP medical records onto its brand-new system, the General Practice Data for Planning and Research, or GPDPR, which will then be shared with third parties for research and development. Of concern is the fact that the electronic database will hold incredibly sensitive data, such as mental health, sexual health and criminal records. While this will be anonymised with unique identification codes, the NHS will be able access the original data showing patients’ names – where there is a valid legal reason to do so – it has raised concerns around privacy, as Ruby Ashby, associate in Nelsons’ expert dispute resolution team, discusses. According to the NHS, the new system will help to reduce the burden on GP practices, allowing doctors and other staff to focus on patient care, with the data being used to support a wide variety of research and analysis that will help to run and improve services. The NHS has made it clear that anyone has the right to opt-out if they wish to do so, with an initial cut-off date of 1 September. However, in a letter dated 19 July this year, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for health and social care, Jo Churchill, set out a new process for the commencement of data collection, which moved away from the previously fixed date of 1 September and introduced three changes to the opt-out system, meaning
patients are able to change their status at any time.
IS GPDPR COMPLIANT WITH DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION? From a data protection standpoint, it’s necessary to question whether GPDPR conforms with UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) legislation and the Data Protection Act 2018. One concern is that a majority of patients won’t have given their explicit consent to the sharing of data, with many potentially being completely unaware of the plans. While this is a valid point, it is important to understand that consent is not always required. Consent is only one lawful basis for processing data and there are an additional five that allow an organisation to lawfully process data without consent. As a public body, the NHS will be able to process the data without people’s consent if the processing is regarded as being in the public’s interest. Another concern is that, while patients will be identified with unique codes, the NHS will be able to access the original data that shows the patients’ names. The use of codes rather than names is known as pseudonymisation. This is a commonly used technique in the processing of data, which means that individuals can’t be identified from the data itself and only by referring to other information held separately. Therefore, the NHS will need to take care that the additional information that can identify the individual is kept separately, with relevant controls in place, to ensure it’s not possible to re-identify the patient, except for in very specific circumstances as permitted by UK GDPR. For more information on data protection, please visit www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/business-agreements-contracts/data-protection-solicitor/data-breach-compensation/
Canford Healthcare Announces New Appointment at Ashridge Court Care Centre Canford Healthcare, a leading provider of nursing, residential and dementia care services is pleased to announce the appointment of Juliet Wills RN as Home Manager of Ashridge Court Care Centre in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex. An experienced nurse, Juliet also has a qualification in clinical teaching and a humanities degree. Her career has been extremely varied, encompassing hands-on and senior roles within care settings, as well as working as an inspector for her local council and for the National Commission for Social Care Inspection (now CQC) where she managed a team of inspectors across Brighton and Hove. She then worked her way up from part-time nursing shifts to manager of a local nursing home, steering it safely through the pandemic – a very challenging experience. Julie is already enjoying working with deputy manager Janice and the rest of her new team at Ashridge, and is revelling in being new as it gives her a vital fresh perspective on the home. Customer service is a key priority for her, as is building up the home’s family feel and its presence within the
community. “It’s very easy to forget that elderly people have had many and varied life experiences and hopes for how they wish their lives to be,” she said. “We respect their wisdom and experience, and want to help them to live their best possible lives.” She adds: “Ashridge is such a lovely home with a good reputation. I want to build on that so that more people see it as the place to be! Alongside that, I want to ensure that staff feel valued, and that they all have the training and support needed to do their very best. I also believe in open, honest communication. For me, good nursing (and good care) is all about communication, while a sense of humour helps too!” Debbie Inkersole, Operations Manager says: “We are delighted to welcome Juliet as the new manager of Ashridge Court Care Centre. We believe that her particular set of knowledge, skills and experience, together with her personcentred approach to residents, add up to a formidable combination that will take Ashridge from strength to strength.”
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