When you are referred to the Hospital and then attend any of our clinics, information is recorded about who you are, about your condition and about the medical care you receive. This information is kept in your Health Care File and we also hold information on computer systems. The information is used to ensure you receive proper care and treatment from us. We will share this information with other staff you would expect to be involved as part of your overall care, including the staff who provide care and treatment in hospital.

The Data Protection Policy of the hospital strictly protects the information we hold about you and only those with the appropriate authority will have access to this information. Everyone working for the hospital has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential and secure.

The following are examples of the uses to which your information may be put:

• To meet a legal obligation e.g. we are required by law to inform the Ministry of Health about births or deaths.

• To help protect the health of the general public, e.g. by notification of certain infectious diseases to the Ministry of Health.

• To carry out clinical audit, which means we compare care and patterns of care within the Hospital. For this purpose registers are kept for patients with particular conditions such as cancer, diabetes, stroke.

• To help train and educate clinical staff.