All clinicians and health and social care professionals caring for you keep records about your health and any treatment and care you receive from the NHS.

These records help to ensure that you receive the best possible care. They may be paper or electronic and they may include:

• Basic details about you such as name, address, email address, NHS number, date of birth, next of kin, etc
• Contact we have had with you such as appointments or clinic visits
• Notes and reports about your health, treatment and care – A&E visits, in patient spells or clinic appointments
• Details of diagnosis and treatment given
• Information about any allergies or health conditions.
• Results of x-rays, scans and laboratory tests
• Relevant information from people who care for you and know you well such as health care professionals and relatives

It is essential that your details are accurate and up to date. Always check that your personal details are correct when you visit us and please inform us of any changes to your contact details or GP practice as soon as possible. This minimises the risk of you not receiving important correspondence.

By providing the Trust with your contact details, patients are agreeing to the Trust using those channels to communicate with them about their healthcare, i.e. by letter (postal address), by voice mail or voice message (telephone or mobile number), by text message (mobile number) or by email (email address).

The Trust may need to keep and process information about you for employment purposes.

We will keep and use it to enable us to comply with contractual, statutory, and management obligations and responsibilities. We collect information during the recruitment process, whilst you are working for us and at the time when your employment ends.

This includes using information to enable us to comply with the employment contract, to comply with any legal requirements, pursue the legitimate interests of the Trust and protect our legal position in the event of legal proceedings