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  7. Right arrow icon Personal Demographics Service (PDS)

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
  • Tick Be informed
  • Tick Get access to it
  • Tick Rectify or change it
  • Cross Erase or remove it
  • Tick Restrict or stop processing it
  • Cross Move, copy or transfer it
  • Cross Object to it being processed or used
  • Cross Know if a decision was made by a computer rather than a person
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

internal

Demographics

The Personal Demographics Service (PDS) is a national authoritative source of patient demographics data for the whole of the NHS.