The London Care Record

Who can view my information on the London Care Record?

Only health, social and care professionals directly involved in your care can access your information, at point of care.

• Your GP
• A&E teams in London if you go there for an emergency
• The social care team looking after you in your home

Your data is being shared for Direct Care purposes only.  Access to your information is fully auditable. This means, there will be a record of who has looked at your information, what they looked at, and when.

Which organisations are involved in the London Care Record?

The London Care Record will include sharing of patient data from:

• GP practices
• Acute services, such as hospitals and A&E
• Community services
• Out of hours and NHS 111 providers
• Social care services
• Mental health trusts

Once fully rolled out, the London Care Record will include information from across London which include:

• North East London
• South East London
• South West London
• North Central London
• North West London

Additionally, some out of London hospitals are connected including Milton Keynes University Hospital and those in Hertfordshire and West Essex.

Can I see my information in the London Care Record online?

No, not yet. However, this is something we are keen to introduce at a later stage.

Can I get a copy of my information on the London Care Record?

Under the Data Protection Act 2018, you can request a copy of your record. To do this you need to contact each care organisation involved in your care to obtain a copy of your records, via their local Subject Access Request processes.

Can the government or organisations involved with insurance or research view or use London Care Record?

No. The London Care Record will only be used by health and care professionals involved in delivering your treatments or care. Third parties, companies or individuals not directly involved in your care will not be able to view or access your record.

Will councils use information from the London Care Record when assessing my benefits claims?

No, only those involved in your care can view your health and care information on the London Care Record when delivering your care.

Restricting Access to Your information in London Care Record

Can I refuse to have my information on the London Care Record? Will this affect my care?

Patient health records have always been shared by letter, email, fax or phone. This meant that there could be a delay for professionals caring for you to access all the information they needed immediately for your treatment. Now, with the London Care Record, all the information will be shared securely to let care professionals to provide fast, effective and safe care for you.

You can object to your records being shared between services. To do this, you can speak to the person providing your care such as a GP, healthcare professional or social worker.

However, it’s important to know that:

• Not allowing access to your information might affect the quality of care you receive
• Only health and social care professionals involved in your care are allowed to access this information. These people view patient records to provide the best quality care they can
• In many situations, it is necessary to share information between services to deliver care.

There may be circumstances where an objection by a patient may not be upheld. For example:

• If it is in the public interest for information to be shared. For example, if there is a safeguarding issue, or in the case of an individual who might be at risk from harming themselves or a member of the public.

If clinical care cannot be provided, for example, GPs providing appointments at the weekend need access to your GP record to provide you with safe effective care. In this instance, you may choose not to have the appointment.

If an objection is not upheld this will be communicated to you, including the reason for the request not being upheld and details of how to complain to the Information Commissioners Office.

How do I request to stop sharing my information on the London Care Record?

You have the right to object to your information being available through the London Care Record. Patients can object to their records being shared between services. To do this, they can speak to the person delivering care such as their GP, healthcare professional or social worker.

For advice about data protection, privacy, data sharing issues and your rights or if you want to stop sharing, you can contact your health or social care team or for more information visit http://www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk/london-care-record . If you do not have access to the website, you can call 020 3192 6011 and leave your name and number for someone to contact you.

Can I stop certain healthcare staff from seeing my information?

Your health and care professionals have access to your data based on their job role. If you are concerned about sharing sensitive information, please talk to your GP or the healthcare professional treating you.

In the past, I’ve said I do not want my information shared on ConnectCare or the Local Care Record. Do I need to ask again?

No. If you have already requested to stop sharing on ConnectCare or Local Care Record, then you will not have to request again for the London Care Record.

If I have already opted out of the Summary Care Record will this automatically apply to the London Care Record?

No, you will need to let us know if you want to stop sharing your information on the London Care Record.

I am a patient at Oxleas and have not chosen to restrict sharing of my information in ConnectCare. How will the introduction of the London Care Record impact the use of my data?

ConnectCare is now becoming the London Care Record. Your information can now be accessed by those involved in your care in other areas of London. Your key health and care information is now accessible on the London Care Record.

How do I make a complaint about improper use of the London Care Record?

You can talk to your health or care professional or GP if you have concerns about improper use of the London Care Record. An audit trail will be used to investigate this, and inappropriate access by staff members is taken very seriously and formal investigations would be carried out.

All health and care organisations have complaints procedures. If you want to make a complaint, please contact a health or social care professional involved in your care, or speak to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) or complaints department at the hospital. Patients also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office about breaches of confidentiality.

Security

Is my information on the London Care Record secure?

Yes, your information is secure. The London Care Record can only be accessed by registered health and social care professionals who are authorised to view it, and only at point of care.

By law, everyone working in health and social care or as part of NHS healthcare teams must respect privacy and keep all information safe. Information can only be accessed over a secure health and care network. An audit trail is maintained to record access to the London Care Record.

The London Care Record is underpinned by an Information Sharing Agreement between all the health and care organisations involved. This means they commit to sharing information in a secure way that is compliant with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which provides the legal basis to share information between health and care services when it is needed to deliver care.

The use of information is strictly controlled and used by healthcare providers in accordance with the Data Protection Legislation, the Human Rights Act 1998, the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality, the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice, the NHS Records Management Code of Practice and the NHS Information Security Code of Practice. All partners involved are compliant with the Data Security and Protection (DSP) toolkit.

Other

I’m new to the area – am I included?

If you are registered with a participating GP practice, or have received care from any of the other participating organisations, then your information will be included in the London Care Record automatically.

Is this the same as the Summary Care Record?

No, the Summary Care Record is a national record and his more high level.. The London Care Record will provide a more detailed view of your health and care, and will only be available to professionals involved in your care when treating or caring for you.

Is this related to Care.data?

No, Care.data was a national NHS initiative which collected non-identifiable patient information from GP practices to help in planning and research. The London Care Record is not linked to Care.data in any way.

Why is my information seen by other care providers when I don’t receive health or care services outside South East London (SEL)?

Only those directly involved in your care will have access to your information at point of care. So if you only received services in South East London, only South East London care providers can access your information when treating you.

What is the difference between the Local Care Record and the London Care Record?

There are two technology solutions currently used in South East London to share health and care information with professionals involved in your treatments and care. The London Care Record is built on the latest technology and will eventually replace the Local Care Record. The London Care Record brings information into a single view, in a way that is easier to use to deliver your better, faster and safer care than previously.

YouTube links

London Care Record explained in 15 seconds with subtitles

London Care Record explained in 45 seconds with subtitles

London Care Record explained in full