Research Ethics within General Practice

Why read this policy?

Your medical record is confidential, and this policy explains how we protect your privacy when providing care and undertaking research.

Your Medical Record

The Practice is fully computerised and your medical record is held electronically.

You have the right to see your record and to alter or remove information in it which is not accurate.

Use of Medical Records

To provide for your care and for administration purposes, we occasionally release some personal data about you, for example: when referring you to hospital, or when your doctor claims payment for certain tests (e.g. vaccination or smear).

When your record is used for research, we only release identifiable information about you with your written permission. We also release anonymised information for research purposes.

We do not ask for your permission when we do this. We follow national guidance, regulations and the law when sharing information in your medical records. They cover the use of medical records and lay down certain rights for you and obligations for us.

Your right to opt-out

You have the right to opt-out of having your medical record being used as setout in this page. To do this, please tell us at the Practice and we will enter this in your record. Your objections will be respected except where disclosure is essential to protect you or someone else from risk of death or serious harm.

Protecting your personal information

When we are asked to release personal information about you, and when your identity is part of this, we will only do this with your written permission. Staff who work at the Practice but do not directly provide your care may also have access to your records. This includes members of the research support team who work closely with the Practice.

All such staff are properly trained and have the same duty of confidentiality as other clinicians within the Practice. Where information is anonymised and sent to other bodies, this process will be carried out by a member of staff working at the Practice before being sent. There are strict security measures in place at the Practice and at any other NHS body or external organisation that undertakes NHS research to keep your records confidential.

Contacting you about research

Any research project which is undertaken at the Practice has to be approved by a research ethics committee. They ensure that any research undertaken is of a high standard, is necessary and is ethical.

They also ensure that people undertaking research are properly training and have a duty of confidentiality. When a research project has been approved you may be contacted to be invited to take part.

For certain studies we provide your name and address to the research team so that they can contact you. The research team work as part of the Practice team and have a strict duty of confidentiality.

Please remember

Whether or not you take part in research is entirely up to you, and the decision you take will not affect your care from the Practice in any way.

Please rest assured that whether or not you allow your data to be used, the care provided to you by the Practice and the rest of the NHS will be of the same high standard.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Practice Manager on 01993 702911

Want to find out more about a specific trial you have seen advertised by the practice?

• Please contact the Windrush Research Team on 01993 862157
• If you want to find out about health and social care research in England then please visit the National Institute for Health Research webpage