IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This website is no longer being updated.

NHS Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group has been legally dissolved and from 1 July 2022 has been replaced by a new organisation: NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (SY ICB). NHS South Yorkshire ICB is now responsible for commissioning and funding of health and care services locally. Please go to our new website www.southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk for information about the work of NHS South Yorkshire ICB and details about how to contact us.

Thank you.

branch graphic

Looking after your information

NHS Barnsley CCG is an NHS organisation. The NHS and its staff must ensure that all personal data is handled in a lawful manner and securely managed and controlled. The information below outlines how the NHS uses your information.

Information used to support your care

When you see a doctor, nurse or any other health professional, they ask you to give them information about yourself.  This helps them decide what treatment and care is best for you.  They keep a record of any relevant information, which may be written down or held on computer.  This record is then known as your health or medical record.

Your medical record may include:

  • Basic details about you such as name, address and next of kin
  • Details of any diagnosis and treatment you receive including drug prescriptions
  • Results of investigations such as blood tests and X-rays
  • Details of contact you have with other health professionals such as visits to clinics
  • Relevant information from other professionals and those who care for you

Different health professionals involved in your care will make their own notes, so you may have medical records in different parts of the NHS.

NHS Summary Care Records

NHS Summary Care Records (SCRs) are electronic summaries of patients' vital health information.  They contain details of your current medications, allergies and any reactions to medication, which can be made available to NHS staff providing you with care anywhere in England to help them make key care decisions, for example, in an emergency if you are not conscious, or to check your medication if you are in hospital or consulting a GP in another city. 

Health staff will normally ask your permission to access your SCR.  It will only be accessed without consent in circumstances, such as emergency care, where it is not possible to ask you first and the person caring for you deems it important in delivering safe and effective care to you.

Not all patients have an SCR.  If you wish to have an SCR or if you already have one but would like to opt-out of having it, please contact your GP to discuss your decision.

More details SCRs and links to other useful information can be found on the NHS Care Records Service website.

Information used to support the NHS  

The Health and Social Care Information Centre

All healthcare providers regularly send information about most health activities such as hospital admissions, out-patient attendances, A&E attendances, GP visits to the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).  This centre was set up as an Executive Non Departmental Public Body in April 2013.  The Health and Social Care Act 2012 sets out their responsibilities, which include:

The HSCIC’s statutory functions and duties are set out in Part 9, Chapter 2 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 - sections 252 to 275 - and in Schedule 18.

Some of the data held and processed by the HSCIC may be made available back to your GP to assist in your care.  For example, the NHS has a new service called ‘risk profiling’ which helps your GP identify if you need more help managing your health.  A computer programme will look at any recent treatments you have had in hospital or at your GP surgery, and any existing health conditions that you have, and alert your doctor to the likelihood of a possible future hospital admission.  The clinical team at the surgery will use this information to help you get early care and treatment where it is needed.  Although this is done for the benefit of your health, you can opt out of having your information processed in this way by the HSCIC.  Please contact your GP if you do not wish your information to be processed for risk profiling or to ask about any other ways your information may be used.

NHS England

NHS England is the organisation that leads the NHS in England.  Its role is to commission services that deliver improved health outcomes for the people in England.  Some of this work is devolved down to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).  CCGs cover geographical areas and are responsible for addressing the health needs, and improving health outcomes, for individuals within their geographical area.

Information about the current health of our population plays a key role in improving such outcomes by enabling services to be put in place to address these health needs.  NHS England has commissioned the HSCIC to set up an information service called “care.data”.  Information from this service will be used by GPs and other health providers to help improve patient care and the health services provided to local communities.

Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group

The CCG’s primary function is as a commissioning organisation and it holds information for these purposes. This data is used to help plan services and for producing statistical information to monitor NHS performance. Clinical Commissioning Groups may hold personal information about patients for the purposes of providing direct care, investigating complaints and other purposes consistent with their obligations such as safeguarding. Please see our Privacy Notice for further details.