Data Protection and Primary Care Research
General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR)
NHS Digital's daily collection of GP data will support vital health and care planning and research. The data held in the GP medical records of patients is used every day to support health and care planning and research in England, helping to find better treatments and improve patient outcomes for everyone. NHS Digital has developed a new way to collect this data, called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection. NHS Digital has engaged with the British Medical Association (BMA), Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and the National Data Guardian (NDG) to ensure relevant safeguards are in place for patients and GP practices. Find more about GPDPR.
Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)
A DPIA is a process designed to help researchers and GP Practice staff minimise the data protection risks of a research study or clinical trial. DPIAs are the responsibility of a sponsor and form part of their standard processes. Individual DPIAs do not need to be carried out by study sites. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) provides more information on what a DPIA is, when it should be used and by whom.
The HRA have jointly developed guidance on DPIAs with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in consultation with the ICO, on behalf of the UK. Visit the HRA website to find out more.
Data Opt Out, GP Data and Research
Navigating Data Protection governance when you are delivering research in Primary Care settings can be tricky. We have collated some key guidance around data opt outs and when to approach patients for research purposes including coding those who wish not to take part in research. Click below to find out more.
Coming Soon!
Primary Care Professionals’ Views on the use of Health Data
Primary care is many people’s first point of contact with health services – and is often seen as the backbone of the healthcare system. To deliver personalised and integrated care, the use of data is instrumental, not only in providing individual care but in enabling planning and research to improve care and patient outcomes.
Click here to read a blog post summarising the findings of new research published by Understanding Patient Data (UPD) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) on primary care professionals’ attitudes to the use of patient data. The report can be found in full here, along with a handy checklist for teams planning or implementing a data initiative, to help them assess the factors that will shape how it is received.
Training resources
NHS e-Learning for Healthcare
Please follow the links below to access NHS e-learning courses on common data protection issues:
Using data about people in research (UKRI)
Compiled links to further training resources, including guidance on GP clinical systems