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Digital

NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS): GDPR information

Summary

Why and how we process your data in the NHS e-Referral Service, and your rights.

Controller NHS Digital (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 the issuing of a direction to NHS Digital).
How we use the information (processing activities)

Management of a national online system concerning patient referrals with care providers.
Does this contain sensitive (special category) data such as health information? Yes
Who are recipients of this data?

Authorised health and care staff
Is data transferred outside the UK? No
How long the data is kept The eRS record is retained for the life of the patient plus 10 years after death of the patient.
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? General Practice (GP) medical records and NHS Spine
The legal basis for collecting this data

GDPR:
Article 6(1)(c) Legal Obligation (Informatics systems for the collection or analysis of information Directions 2016),
DPA 2018:
Schedule 1, Part 1 - Health or social care purpose.

Where we use this data

internal

NHS e-Referral Service

The NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) combines electronic booking with a choice of place, date and time for first hospital or clinic appointments. Patients can choose their initial hospital or clinic appointment, which they can then book online (a telephone service is also available) or in the GP surgery at the point of referral.