Use of Patient Information

Use of Confidential Health Information Obtained By the Scottish Ambulance Service in the course of providing a Service to Callers and Patients

If you have been in contact with the Scottish Ambulance Service as a Caller to report an accident or incident or as a Patient, either on our Accident and Emergency Service or Non-Emergency Service we would have collected some personal information or confidential health information about yourself as a caller or as a patient (Data Subject). It is important you are aware of what information we collect, the purpose for which it is collected and the uses to which it will be put.

The Data Controller is the Scottish Ambulance Service, National Headquarters, Tipperlin Rd, Edinburgh, EH10 5UU. Tel; 0131 446 7000. Data Protection Officer, 0131 446 7000 ext 4927.

We collect information in a number of ways.

All calls to our Emergency Medical Dispatch Centres (Controls) are recorded on audio tape and details obtained and stored in digital format on digital disks and computers.
Details of transport requests for Non-Emergency Transport through our Planning centres are similarly stored in digital format and on paper files.
Ambulance Crews record information on a patient record document called a Patient Report Form (PRF). These are currently stored as a paper document but in future will be stored digitally as we move to electronic PRF’s.
For the purposes of public safety, staff safety and prevention of crime, some of our premises are covered by CCTV systems and may record images of persons inside and around these premises on videotape

All records containing patient information are currently kept for a minimum of 7 years.

As part of it’s role within a wider Health Service the Scottish Ambulance Service will collect information about if ever you require to be treated or transported by us. This information falls into two broad categories.

Personal data, which includes information like your name, address, telephone numbers, date of birth, General Practitioner details etc.
Sensitive data, such as your previous medical history and current illness, injury or condition.

For the administration and delivery of health services to you, Ambulance Staff may collect information about you that is of a personal or confidential nature. This information;

Will be treated in the strictest confidence and within the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 and our code of confidentiality. (Use link below for further information)
Personal Health Document
Will be used; for the purposes of delivering a Service to you; for our own administration purposes; for statistical purposes; market research (patient satisfaction) purposes. For a full list please see our registration document.
May be used in a variety of ways beyond the provision of patient care e.g. providing statistics for the improvement of health services, conducting patient satisfaction surveys etc.
Will be anonymised wherever possible and appropriate.

You should also be aware that your explicit consent to the processing (using/sharing) of some or all of this information is not always required under the terms of the Data Protection Act if it is being processed under the following circumstances;

For the administration of Health Services
A doctor, nurse or other health professional needs the information as part of your care and treatment
It is essential for the protection of children, other vulnerable groups or vulnerable adults
It is for clinical audit or research purposes
It is for use in education or training
There is an obligation to release the information under another law
There is a legal requirement or obligation – e.g. a court order or disclosure is in the public interest
It can be justified in the investigation or prevention of a crime and taxation exemption.
It is in your vital interests (to protect you or others)

Your personal details will not be used by us for commercial purposes, nor passed on to any organisation or agency for commercial or media* purposes without first obtaining your explicit consent to do so. You are also advised that you have the right of access to any records we may hold on you. You also have the right to alter, rectify or remove information that we hold on you. You also have the right to stop us processing your information in certain ways.

While we will assist people requesting personal or confidential health information in every way possible and reply within the statutory 40 days, The Scottish Ambulance Service is obliged to ensure that all requests for personal information are legitimate and will therefore adopt appropriate security measures to ensure confidentiality of information is maintained.

These measures may include, but are not restricted to;

Accepting all requests for personal information in writing only, this includes requests by fax and/or email. However, please note that regardless of how the request is made, information will only be returned by Post. (see also below)
Requiring persons requesting information to complete a Confidential Health Information request form.
Where a request is made by a relative, friend, solicitor or other third party on behalf of a patient /caller for which we hold a record, a mandate authorising the Scottish Ambulance Service to release the information is signed by the data subject and included with the request
Information will not be given over the telephone – except where it is in the vital interests of the patient (data subject) and usually only to case workers/or other medical professionals involved in the urgent care/treatment of the data subject.
Information will not be sent via the Internet (even with encryption software) under any circumstances
Information will not be sent by Fax – except to a nominated safe haven facility - and then only where it is in the vital interests of the data subject
Requesting further proof of identity and/or entitlement to the information
Wherever doubt exists as to the requestors entitlement to information it will not be released until such doubt is removed.

Under the Data Protection Act we are obliged to respond to any request for copies of personal information we hold within 40 days from the receipt of any legitimate request. For a request to be legitimate, it must be in writing, contain the name & address of requestor, the name and address of the Data Subject (if not the same) plus full details of the incident i.e. dates/times/locations, the information required (tapes/patient records etc) and have the appropriate fee enclosed. The current fee for each individual request is £10. If you require further information please contact your local Scottish Ambulance Service Headquarters or phone 0131 446 7000.

*except where a significant public interest applies.