Data protection

The responsible use of health and care data is essential for providing individual care, planning services and developing new medical treatments. 

Across the country there is an increased focus on how to create better access to data for research and maintaining the highest standards of security and confidentiality.

Part of this approach is to develop local Secure Data Environments (SDE). NHS organisations in the Thames Valley and Surrey (TVS) are working together to set up a local SDE for research.

This environment will securely store patient data. People, like university or industry researchers, can apply to become approved users to access this data. The data they can see is agreed before they are given access. The data will not leave the NHS.

To help develop the local SDE, we are working with patients, the public and healthcare professionals.

The Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) must be completed whenever there is a change in an existing process or service, or a new process of an information asset is introduced that is likely to involve a new use or significantly changes the way in which personal data is handled.

The DPIA is a process which assists in identifying and minimising the privacy risks. 

An effective DPIA is a tool (a risk assessment) to help identify the most effective way to comply with Data Protection obligations and meet individuals' expectations of privacy, allowing the organisation to identify and resolve any problems at an early stage, reducing the associated costs and damage which might otherwise occur.

• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) log