The NHS Constitution states, ‘You have the right to request that your confidential information is not used beyond your own care and treatment and to have your objections considered’. There may be occasions when it is not possible to exercise your right to object or ‘Opt Out’, such as when we have an obligation by law or for the purposes of safeguarding adults and children.

The right to object or opt-out includes information not directly collected by the ICB, but collected by organisations that provide NHS services:

Type 1 opt-out 

If you do not want personal confidential data that identifies you to be shared outside your GP practice, for purposes beyond your individual care, you can register a ‘Type 1 opt-out’ with your GP practice. This prevents your personal confidential information from being used for anything except your care, except when it is required by law, such as a public health emergency like an outbreak of a pandemic disease.

Patients are only able to register this opt-out at their GP practice. If you would like to opt-out or discuss further, then please talk to your GP or the healthcare professional supporting you.

The national data opt-out 

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service. Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

Improving the quality and standards of care provided Research into the development of new treatments Preventing illness and diseases Monitoring safety Planning services. This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law.

Most of the time, anonymised data is used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information isn’t needed.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt-out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit Your NHS Data Matters.