Protecting your information

Patients trust us with some of their most personal and sensitive information. Protecting that information is a responsibility we take very seriously.

NHS England has published guidance to help prevent unlawful access to patient records and strengthen public confidence in how health information is protected across the NHS.

Patient records should only be accessed when there is a legitimate reason to do so in support of patient care or NHS business. Accessing records out of curiosity or for personal reasons is unlawful and may result in disciplinary, professional and criminal consequences.

We have safeguards in place to protect patient information, including staff training, access controls and systems that allow access to records to be monitored and audited.

As NHS England Chief Executive Sir Jim Mackey said: “These instances may seem like benign curiosity to some, but that couldn’t be further from the truth – they are harmful to patients, damage trust and, ultimately, are illegal.”

If you have concerns about how your information has been accessed or used, please contact our Information Governance team.

For further information, please take a look at this guidance from NHS Digital.