Our service was created as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme in England. We want to offer the best possible service to patients and to do this we need to collect data about our patients and their treatments. By providing us with this information we are able to ensure that we offer you the most appropriate treatment and ensure that we are providing an effective service to all our patients.
This leaflet describes how the information helps improve patient care.
Personal Details
A number of pages throughout this site invite users to complete forms including their personal details. There is no requirement to fill in these forms in order to view general material on this site. If do you wish to complete a form with your details in order to make a self-referral, you should note the following:
Information submitted to Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust via this web site will be used solely for the purpose for which it is collected, and will not be passed on to any other external organisation, without your permission. The purpose for which the information is collected will be made clear.
We have implemented security procedures and technical measures to protect any personal data which is kept by Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust from:
- Unauthorised access.
- Improper use or disclosure.
- Unauthorised modification.
- Unlawful destruction or accidental loss.
- Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust employees who have access to personal data are obliged to respect confidentiality, they are bound by confidentiality contract clauses and the duties of common law.
- Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust abides by the Data Protection Act of 2018 in the holding and processing of your personal data.
- If you are using a public computer and do not wish others to be able to go back to view the details you have typed into a form on the web it is advisable to clear the contents of the form and your cache (temporary internet files) before leaving the computer.
What information is collected by the City and Hackney Talking Therapies service?
We collect information about you and the care you receive, including the assessments, results of tests and your answers to questionnaires. This enables your progress to be monitored and future care planned. This information may be shared with other health professionals involved in your care, so that you get the best possible care. If you would like to see the information collected about you or find out more about how the information is stored and used locally please speak with the people who are treating you.
How we keep your information safe?
The City and Hackney Talking Therapies service stores all information safely and securely and sends national reporting information safely to a secure central data storage area. All data collected is subject to the strict rules of confidentiality, laid down by Acts of Parliament, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Health and Social Care Act 2001 and the NHS Care Record Guarantee.
What information is collected nationally?
Some of this information collected is reported nationally to give a picture of service delivered across the country, to check that quality standards are similar everywhere. No information that could reveal a patient’s identity is used in national reports. These reports only show summary numbers of, for instance, patients receiving different types of treatments and it is impossible to identify any person seen by the City and Hackney Talking Therapies service from them. Security of patient information is very important in all IAPT services.
How is the information used nationally?
The information collected is used to check that:
- Services are available to those who need them.
- An appropriate range of NICE compliant treatments is provided.
- Patients achieve positive outcomes from treatment.
National reports offer huge service delivery benefits by checking, for example, numbers of referrals received, and time taken to access services, the type of treatments used and the outcomes of those treatments. Also, under the Equality Act 2010, the NHS has to monitor personal characteristics and check everyone has equal access to services and is not discriminated against in any way.
Further information on Data Protection issues can be found at http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk/