Patient Confidentiality

Confidentiality and Data Protection - protecting your personal health information

A new Data Protection Act was introduced in March 2000. It gives individuals important rights over how personal information about them is used, which includes the information used by the Scottish Arthroplasty Project.
Information about confidentiality and data protection within NHSScotland, including a patient information leaflet about data protection is produced by NHSScotland.

It is important that patients understand that data on their treatment are used by the NHS in order to:

•  provide efficient patient centred care;

•  assess and improve the quality of care; and

•  plan and manage services.

For this reason every effort is made to inform patients of the existence of the Scottish Arthroplasty project e.g. by using posters and leaflets.

Much of NHSScotland's data are handled by the Information Services Division, a part of NHSScotland. ISD has well established systems to protect the privacy of data held on patients and staff.

The identity of clinicians involved is withheld from members of the Arthroplasty Project Steering Committee and is known only to those ISD staff preparing the data tables.

If you have any specific queries about the use of your data by the Scottish Arthroplasty Project, please email Dr Janet Murray, who is responsible for patient confidentiality at ISD.