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Digital

General Practice Workforce Minimum Dataset (GP-wMDS)

Summary

Why and how we process your data in the General Practice Workforce Minimum Dataset (GP-wMDS) and your rights.

Controller NHS England (in relation to processing the personal data) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) (in relation to determining the purpose for processing the data through issuing the Workforce Information Directions 2019 to NHS England)
How we use the information (processing activities)

The GP-wMDS collects information about staff members, GPs, nurses, other professionals providing patient care and administrative staff providing services at general practices in England. This information is used to create a single central source of workforce information in England, which in turn is used to drive improvements in data quality, monitor government targets, support the publication of statistics, develop policy and inform workforce planning at both a national and local level. The level of information collected is determined by the National Workforce Data Set specification DAPB1067. Extracts are produced via the National Workforce Reporting Service (NWRS). Dissemination of this information is available through the NHS England Data Access Request Service (DARS), with independent oversight provided by the Advisory Group for Data (AGD) where appropriate. 
Does this contain sensitive (special category) data such as health information? Yes
Who are recipients of this data?

GP workforce data is made available for wider dissemination via the DARS.

Recipients may include, but are not limited to, NHS organisations, government bodies and research organisations. 

External Data Sharing Agreements are published on the Data Uses Register.
Is data transferred outside the UK? GP workforce data is not transferred outside the UK for the purposes of NHS England's processing. GP workforce data may however be transferred outside of the UK where approved via the DARS governance process, with support from AGD where necessary.
How long the data is kept All interim data is deleted (manually), only the final set of data used for reporting is retained for reference and audit purposes. This data is retained for 8 years before it is reviewed for deletion in line with the NHS Records Management Code of Practice. GP workforce data shared via DARS will be retained by the requesting organisation(s) in line with the data retention period set out within the Data Sharing Agreement.
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? Providers of NHS funded general practice services in England
The legal basis for collecting this data

NHS England's lawful basis for processing (collecting and analysing) personal data is:

UK GDPR Article 6(1)(c) - legal obligation (Workforce Information Directions 2019),

NHS England's lawful basis for processing (collecting and analysing) special categories of personal data is:

UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h) - processing is necessary for the management of health or social care systems and services, supplemented by:

Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 1, Paragraph 2 – ‘Health or social care purposes’.

Where we use this data