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Personal Demographics Service (PDS): GDPR information
Summary
Why and how we process your data within the Personal Demographics Service (PDS), and your rights.
| Controller | NHS Digital |
| How we use the information (processing activities) | The Personal Demographic Service (PDS) holds the demographic details of users of health and care services in England, including name, address and NHS number. It is used to confirm the identity of patients, link care records, support communications with patients and support management of NHS Services. |
| Does this contain sensitive (special category) data such as health information? | No |
| Who are recipients of this data? |
Authorised health and care staff. See the data release register for more details. |
| Is data transferred outside the UK? | No |
| How long the data is kept | 20 years after no longer required |
| Our lawful basis for holding this data | Legal obligation |
| Your rights |
|
| How can you withdraw your consent? |
Consent not the basis for processing |
| Is the data subject to decisions made solely by computers? (automated decision making) | No |
| Where does this data come from? | NHS Organisations providing health and care services |
| The legal basis for collecting this data | Legal obligation (Direction) |
Where NHS Digital uses this data
Demographics
The Personal Demographics Service (PDS) is a national authoritative source of patient demographics data for the whole of the NHS.