Keeping your personal data safe is central to the GM Care Record.
Each health and care organisation in Greater Manchester collects information about you and keeps records about the care and services they have provided. The GM Care record pulls together the information from these different health and social care records and displays it in one combined record.
How is your personal information kept safe and secure in the GM Care Record?
We ensure the information we hold is kept in secure locations, restrict access to information to authorised personnel only and protect personal and confidential information.
Appropriate technical and security measures in place to protect the GM Care Record include:
- complying with Data Protection Legislation;
- encrypting Personal Data transmitted between partners;
- implementing and maintaining business continuity, disaster recovery and other relevant policies and procedures
- a requirement for organisations to complete the Data Security and Protection (DSP) Toolkit introduced in the National Data Guardian review of data security, consent and objections, and adhere to robust information governance management and accountability arrangements;
- use of ‘user access authentication’ mechanisms to ensure that all instances of access to any Personal Data under the GM Care Record are auditable against an individual accessing the GM Care Record;
- ensuring that all employees and contractors who are involved in the processing of Personal Data are suitably trained in maintaining the privacy and security of the Personal Data and are under contractual or statutory obligations of confidentiality concerning the Personal Data.
The NHS Digital Code of Practice on Confidential Information applies to all NHS and care staff, and they are required to protect your information, inform you of how your information will be used, and allow you to decide if and how your information can be shared. All staff with access to Personal Data are trained to ensure information is kept confidential.
Whilst you are automatically enrolled into the GM Care Record as a GM citizen, you have the option to object to your information being shared for individual care and to opt out.