This is a clever software tool. It sits on one PC in each practice and draws data from your server. It is safe and complies with all appropriate data use legislation. The data is sent manually by an Assura IT technician or remotely via secure network.

Q: What will the information be used for?

A: To support the provision of improved health care by the LLP and to assists in developing business cases and new services.
In addition, the information may be used by any contributing practice or group of practices for such work as risk analysis, support of practice based commissioning, and data quality improvements. 

Q: Is there any information about my patients identity stored?

A: No, information such as name, address, date of birth are not collected. 

Q: Can I see the information before it is sent to the LLP?

A: Yes, optionally, you are able to view the information in Microsoft Excel prior to sending to the LLP. 

Q: Will my clinical system be affected?

A: No, the software used to extract has been in use, within general practice for a number of years and your systems will not be affected in any way. 

Q: Where will the information be stored and who will be responsible for it?

A: The information will be stored safely and securely within the LLP and will not leave the LLP or be accessed by unauthorised persons outside the LLP. 

Q: Who will use the information?

A: The information be will available for use by yourself and your LLP only for the benefit of the LLP community and their patients. 

Q: Can I use my clinical system reports to do this?

A: One of the main advantages will be that the information for the LLP community as a whole will be stored and analysed in one place. It is not feasible to look at information statistically across the community without it being stored together. In addition, storing the information together means that no additional burden is placed on practice staff having to gather information for the LLP. 

Q: Do my patients need to give their consent to share data with the LLP?

A: For shared information that does not allow the recipient to identify the patient, there is no requirement to gain consent from the patient. 

Q: What about Caldicot?

A: The scopes of activities are bound by the six Caldicot principles, which govern the use of patient-identifiable information in the NHS. However, it is worth noting that these are primarily there to protect patient confidentially and we are not collecting patient identifiable information. Each of these principles is covered elsewhere within this document. The principles are: 

i.              Justify the purpose

ii.            Don’t use patient identifiable information unless it is absolutely necessary

iii.           Use the minimum necessary patient identifiable information

iv.           Access to patient identifiable information should be on a strict need to know basis

v.            Everyone should be aware of their responsibilities

vi.           Understand and comply with the law 

Q: Doesn’t this affect the practice’s responsibilities as a data controller under the Data Protection Act?

A: The NHS Code of Confidentiality makes specific reference to this point. It states it is generally accepted that information provided by patients to the health service is provided in confidence and must be treated as such so long as it remains capable of identifying the individual it relates to.

This is an important point, as once it is effectively anonymised it is no longer confidential.

The information does not identify the patient a so that practice can safely allow the data to b e used without breaching its Data protection Responsibilities. 

Q: Can the information be used for Practice Bases Commissioning?

A: We can provide reports to clusters and practices to give evidence of morbidity, demand and treatment. For example, we can give reports on referral rates for specific diseases, or show relationships between interventions. In particular, we can use the data for Demand Management and Predictive Risk. 

Q: Can I remove the software if I choose?

A: Yes the software is a simple standard windows installation and can easily be uninstalled should you wish.