Your NHS Data Matters

How the NHS and care services use your information

The Ruskington Medical Practice is one of many organisations working in the health and care system to improve care for patients and the public.

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as Accident & Emergency or using a community care service, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service.  Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

• Improving the quality and standards of care provided
• Research into the development of new treatments
• Preventing illness and diseases
• Monitoring safety
• Planning services.

This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information.  All these uses help to provide better healthcare for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law.

Most of the time, anonymised data is used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information is not needed.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way.

If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything

If you do choose to opt-out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

To find out more or to register your choice to opt-out please visit