Do
you understand the data opt out types?
Data is recorded whenever a patient has contact or interaction with the
health and care system. The opt-out only applies to confidential patient
information - data that includes both:
- Information that identifies or could be used to identify the
patient, such as their name or address
- Information about their health, care or treatment, such as their
prescription or medical test results
Prior to the launch of the national data opt-out, individuals could set
two types of general opt-outs via their GP practice:
- Type 1 opt-out prevents information that identifies individuals being shared outside of their GP practice, for secondary uses.
- Type 2 opt-out prevented confidential patient information from being
shared outside of NHS Digital for purposes beyond individual care.
Type 1 opt-outs continue to be honoured until 2020, when the Department
of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will consult with the National Data Guardian
before confirming their removal.
Type 2 opt-outs have been replaced by the national data opt-out and are no longer valid. All type 2 opt-outs recorded in GP practices up to and including 11 October 2018 have been migrated to become national data opt-outs. NHS Digital has written to inform patients who previously registered a type 2 opt-out of this change.