The National Workforce Reporting System (NWRS) – how we use the workforce data you provide

Details of your workforce are collected by NHS Digital through the NWRS. Thank you for providing this information.

The information you provide is used to monitor government targets, develop policy and inform workforce planning. The detail contained in the data is used at both national and local level for workforce planning purposes. It is the only national collection of the workforce in  General Practices and Primary Care Networks at individual staff level. This allows for staff to be uniquely identified and their whole contribution to NHS staffing accurately determined.

The data you provide  contains information on each individual staff member providing services at a General Practice or PCN in England (GPs, Nurses, other professionals providing direct patient care and administrative staff). It includes information on working hours, details of job role, demographics, absences and joining and leaving dates. The data collected is the agreed minimum – using the nationally agreed workforce Minimum Data Set (wMDS).

We collect an individual’s professional registration number (where applicable), Date of Birth, Name and National Insurance number (NINO) as ways of uniquely identifying an individual. A unique number is required to enable the accurate counting of the total number of individuals providing services across the whole NHS.

Data are collected, processed and published under a Direction from DHSC. These Directions are given in exercise of the powers conferred by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and Regulation 32 of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Constitution and Functions) and the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Functions) Regulations 2013.

These Directions are given in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 254(1) (2)(b) (5) and (6), 255(6), 260(2)(d), 261(2)(e),274(1)(d)and (2) and 304(9), (10) and (12) of the Health and Social Care Act20121(the Act)and Regulation 32 of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Constitution and Functions) and the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Functions) Regulations 20132 (the Regulations) .In accordance with section 254(2)(b)of the Act, the Secretary of State considers that it is in the interests of the health service and the recipients and providers of adult social care in England for these Directions to be given. These Directions are known as the Workforce InformationDirections2019and come into effect on 1stNovember 2019. These Directions are given in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 254(1) (2)(b) (5) and (6), 255(6), 260(2)(d), 261(2)(e),274(1)(d)and (2) and 304(9), (10) and (12) of the Health and Social Care Act20121(the Act)and Regulation 32 of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Constitution and Functions) and the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Functions) Regulations 20132(the Regulations).In accordance with section 254(2)(b)of the Act, the Secretary of State considers that it is in the interests of the health service and the recipients and providers of adult social care in England for these Directions to be given. These Directions are known as the Workforce InformationDirections2019and come into effect on 1stNovember 2019.

This Act also provides discretionary powers to NHS Digital to disseminate (share) data. NHS Digital can use its discretionary powers of dissemination with an understanding that the recipients of any data need the appropriate legal basis to receive data – dependent on the type of data requested.  All requests for dissemination of data are considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the application and data minimisation is upheld as standard. Applications are managed by the Data Access Request Service (DARS). Oversight of data release is provided by Independent Group Advising on the Release of data (IGARD).

As a member of practice/pcn staff you have the following rights under GDPR:

• Be Informed
• Get access
• Rectify or change
• Restrict or stop processing

In regards to the available right ‘Restrict or stop processing it; the GDPR allows for individuals to request that the processing of personal data about them is restricted where certain conditions apply.