How your information is used for medical research and to measure the quality of care.

Medical research

Yardley Green Medical Centre shares information from medical records:

• To support medical research when the law allows us to do so, for example to learn more about why people get ill and what treatments might work best.
• We will also use your medical records to carry out research within the practice.

This is important because:

• The use of information from GP medical records is very useful in developing new treatments and medicines.
• Medical researchers use information from medical records to help answer important questions about illnesses and disease so that improvements can be made to the care and treatment patients receive.
• You have the right to object to your identifiable information being used or shared for medical research purposes. Please speak to the practice if you wish to object.

Checking the quality of care – national clinical audits

Yardley Green Medical Centre contributes to national clinical audits so that healthcare can be checked and reviewed.

• Information from medical records can help doctors and other healthcare workers measure and check the quality of care which is provided to you.
• The results of the checks or audits can show where hospitals are doing well and where they need to improve.
• The results of the checks or audits are used to recommend improvements to patient care.
• Data are sent to NHS Digital, a national body with legal responsibilities to collect data.
• The data will include information about you, such as your NHS Number and date of birth and information about your health which is recorded in coded form – for example the code for diabetes or high blood pressure.
• We will only share your information for national clinical audits or checking purposes when the law allows.
• For more information about national clinical audits see the Healthcare Quality Improvements Partnership website, www.hqip.org.uk or phone 020 7997 7370.
• You have the right to object to your identifiable information being shared for national clinical audits. Please contact the practice if you wish to object.