your personal information
Your visit here will be as confidential and discreet as possible. Here is some information about choices available to you.
How we identify you
- We prefer to download your name and address details from the main NHS health service (using your CHI number). This saves you time and reduces errors.
- We use a computer system just for sexual health clinics in Scotland, called ‘NaSH’. We will give you a personal reference number (e.g. AN012345678) to use. Please keep this number safe as you may need it to get your results.
How we contact you
- We would like to have your mobile number as this is the quickest way of getting hold of you if there is a problem. If you give us mobile permission we will use this to send you texts informing you of any sexual health test results which are positive and may require treatment, this text will name the infection and how you can access treatment and care. We will also use it to send appointment reminders by text 2 days ahead of any booked visit
- You can choose whether or not we are permitted to write to your GP or other health care staff outside of this clinic. If you have been referred in by your GP we would normally write back to let them know you have attended.
- You can choose how we can contact you, or ask that we never contact you. If you decide on no contact it is entirely up to you to collect and act on any test results.
Keeping things confidential
All sexual infection and HIV tests are sent to the laboratory with or without out your name as indicated on your registration form. For some tests, such as biopsies, we will need to use your full identity. We will let you know if we are taking these kinds of tests and ask for specific permission. Your GP and other health care staff need to be able to see these results in case you need ongoing care elsewhere.
There are very rare times when we do have to break confidentiality, for example if we are asked by a court or police warrant, or we believe you or someone else to be at serious risk of harm if we do not share information with others. We will inform you before sharing information unless prevented so by the court order/warrant.
What Do You Do With My Information?
The information you provide on your registration form will be stored on the national sexual health computer system (NaSH) in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Access to this information is strictly controlled. Key staff working in sexual health services in Scotland can see that a record exists about you. Clinical information can only be accessed by clinical staff with the Dumfries and Galloway Health Board working in sexual health services. If you attend a sexual health service in another board then you will be asked if you want to create a new identity or just use the same record. All access is audited. Only staff directly involved in your care, or investigating complaints or clinical incidents, are allowed to access this information. You have a right to access to any information held about you and we will provide an extract of the electronic record or a copy of any written notes on receipt of a valid written request. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you have a right to know who holds personal information about you. This person or organisation is called the data controller, and for this purpose is NHS Dumfries and Galloway.
Other Uses of Your Information
Service information such as the number of users, their ages, and reasons for attending is used to carry out research and audit projects in order to improve services and teach health professionals, to protect or improve public health, and for administration of the services. This information does not identify individuals.
Further Information
If, at any time, you would like to know more about how we use your information, you can speak to any member of staff or write to Anne Kingstree, Service Administration Manager, Sexual Health D&G, Nithbank, Dumfries. The Health Rights information Scotland website at www.hris.org.uk has a wide range of leaflets about your rights available in different formats