National Health Data ‘Opt-Out’: Information for customers living in Residential Care, Supported Living and Extra-Care settings.

The National Health Data Opt-Out was introduced on 25 May 2018, to allow patients to ‘opt out’ from their information being used for anything other than their individual care and treatment. For example, research or planning purposes.

Longhurst Group does not directly share residents’ details with any pharmaceutical, medical or other researchers. However, as a Care Provider, working in partnership with the NHS, who records some medical information about our residents, we have an obligation to inform you of your right to choose, and provide assistance, if needed, with ‘opting out’.

The national data opt-out is a service that allows patients to opt out of their confidential medical information being used for research and planning, where the information is sent to:

• University researcher’s agreement
• Hospital researchers
• Medical royal colleges
• Pharmaceutical companies researching new treatments.

Organisations must be transparent with the information they handle about residents, including how and when their preferences have been applied.  As an organisation we are fulfilling our obligation to make provision to inform residents of our compliance with the NHS National Data opt-out policy.

Please be aware that should you choose to ‘opt out’ there are still some circumstances when data can be shared for reasons other than the provision of individual health care, such as to comply with a legal order.  More information can be found on the NHS website.

What happens next?

If you are happy for information to be shared, you do not need to anything.

For residents who do not want their information shared for research and planning purposes, you can opt out using any of the following methods below:

• To opt out safely online, please visit https://your-data-matters.service.nhs.uk (Customers will need a valid email address, mobile number and the postcode of their GP Surgery) 
• To opt out over the telephone please call the NHS Digital Contact Centre on 0300 303 5678. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)
• To opt out by Post, click here to download a form. Please note: this service is currently not available due to Covid-19
• To opt out by Post on behalf of a customer who doesn’t have capacity to opt out themselves, click here to download a form. This can only be done for someone for whom you can legally make decisions. Please note: this service is currently not available due to Covid-19.