Contract holding GPs in the UK receive payments from their respective governments on a tiered basis. Most of the income is derived from baseline capitation payments made according to the number of patients registered with the practice on quarterly payment days. These amount paid per patient per quarter varies according to the age, sex and other demographic details for each patient.
There are also graduated payments made according to the practice’s achievement of certain agreed national quality targets known as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), for instance the proportion of diabetic patients who have had an annual review.
Practices can also receive payments for participating in agreed national or local enhanced services, for instance opening early in the morning or late at night or at the weekends. Practices can also receive payments for certain national initiatives such as immunisation programs and practices may also receive incomes relating to a variety of non patient related elements such as premises.
Finally there are short term initiatives and projects that practices can take part in. Practices or GPs may also receive income for participating in the education of medical students, junior doctors and GPs themselves as well as research2.
In order to make patient based payments basic and relevant necessary data about you needs to be sent to the various payment services. The release of this data is required by English laws1.
We are required by Articles in the General Data Protection Regulations to provide you with the information in the following 9 subsections:
Data controller contact details
Address
Health Centre at the University of Sussex
Refectory Road
Falmer
Brighton
BN1 9RW
Phone
01273 249049
Email
admin.unimed@nhs.net
Data protection officer contact details
Address
Health Centre at the University of Sussex
Refectory Road
Falmer
Brighton
BN1 9RW
Phone
01273 249049
Email
admin.unimed@nhs.net
Dr J Austera
Purpose of the processing
To enable GPs to receive payments. To provide accountability.
Lawful basis for processing
The processing of personal data in the delivery of direct care and for providers’ administrative purposes in this surgery and in support of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6 and 9 conditions of the GDPR:
Article 6(1)(c) “processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.”
And
Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services…”
Recipient or categories of recipients of the shared data
The data will be shared with Health and care professionals and support staff in this surgery and at hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centres who contribute to your personal care.
Rights to object
You have the right to object to some or all the information being processed under Article 21. Please contact the Data Controller or the practice. You should be aware that this is a right to raise an objection, that is not the same as having an absolute right to have your wishes granted in every circumstance.
Right to access and correct
You have the right to access the data that is being shared and have any inaccuracies corrected. There is no right to have accurate medical records deleted except when ordered by a court of Law.
Retention period
The data will be retained in line with the law and national guidance, or speak to the practice.
Right to complain
You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, you can visit www.ico.org.uk or by calling their helpline 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate).
There are National Offices for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, (see ICO website).
1. NHS England’s powers to commission health services under the NHS Act 2006 or to delegate such powers to CCGs and the GMS regulations 2004 (73)1.
2. For more information about payments the English GPs please see the Digital NHS website for GP payments, NHS payments for general practice and www.nhshistory.net.