Young Epilepsy may keep the following additional personal data and special categories of personal data relating to patients:
- Personal details
- Educational information
- Medical, therapy, psychology and health information
- Social care information
- In-house Video-EEG, Video-Telemetry and OPM-MEG recordings, external imaging data, data analysis and reports and any data or reports shared with us from a referring hospital;
- Safeguarding information;
Where it is pertinent to the treatment and care we provide to the patient we will also keep some information on parents/carers and on other family members. For instance, the family’s medical history may be kept, where it relates to their child’s health. This is extremely helpful to us, but if you do not want this information kept please tell us immediately.
If you do not wish your data to be processed for the purposes outlined here, please let us know. You can withdraw your consent at any time by emailing dpo@youngepilepsy.org.uk
Anonymised information
We may also use anonymised information about the education/ care/treatment of our Patients for research (subject to Research Ethics approval) or for audit purposes. It may also be used to provide training or for presentation outside of Young Epilepsy. Please be assured though that in these situations the information is fully anonymised so that it is not possible to personally identify your young person.
What this information is used for
In order for us to assess the patient, information on their educational, medical, social and personal history is needed. This information will be used by us to make an assessment of the patient.
The information we keep on patients allows us to provide the most effective and efficient care and treatment for them. By reviewing any previous treatment or strategies used we are able to determine what care and treatment may work best for them.
It is also important that we keep a record of the care and treatment the patient has received. These records range from day journals which record a patient’s daily activities, to seizure charts and medication records. These allow us to monitor patient progress and development.
In our Diagnostic Suite EEG/MEG recordings including video footage, analysis and reports are used in order to undertake a diagnostic assessment.
Source of the data
In order to provide the most effective and efficient care and treatment for your young person it is essential that we have all pertinent information. This may involve obtaining information from the following sources:-
- The young person/patient
- Parents, family and friends of the young person/patient
- The funding authority/authorities
- The referring authority
- Former placement providers, such as previous residential placements or schools attended by the young person/patient
- Local service providers, such as the patient’s/young person’s school, therapists and CAMHS team
- Health providers including both primary and secondary care
- The individuals or organisations whose contact details you or your family have provided us with, on our contact form
This will have been obtained from relevant individuals and organisations either as part of the admissions process or during your young person’s time at Young Epilepsy.
Sharing information
In addition to the notice above, we may share patient data as outlined below, and for any other disclosures of information, your consent will be sought on an individual basis.
Routine sharing
Sharing information is beneficial for patients as it helps provide a comprehensive understanding of their needs and development and also allows for all those involved in their care and treatment to be aware of the young person’s development whilst at Young Epilepsy.
We will therefore routinely disclose correspondence, reports and information with the following people/ organisations:-
- All professionals involved in funding the placement, which may include Local Authorities, Social Care and Health Commissioners
- The referring authority, for example Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital or Great Ormond Street Hospital
- The individuals or organisations whose contact details you have provided us with, on our contact form
- The young person’s Social Worker
- Local service providers such as the patient’s/young person’s school, GP surgery, hospital, therapists and, if appropriate, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services team (CAMHS)
- Other health professionals involved with the patient’s care including their GP and any local consultants
- Individuals who have parental authority, such as parents, guardians or carers. (Both parents will be given information unless we have been informed that parental responsibility rests solely with one.)This sharing is for the benefit of your young person as it helps provide a comprehensive understanding of his/her needs and development and also allows for all those involved in their care and treatment to be aware of the young person’s development and assessment whilst using the Assessment Service.
Legal obligations
We are also legally obliged to share certain information and, in such cases, will not seek your consent to do so. For example, all safeguarding concerns must be disclosed to the relevant organisations and individuals, such as the Local Authority, your young person’s Social Worker and possibly the police. Similarly, we will also share certain information with new placement providers, such as a summary chronology of all safeguarding incidents and if your young person is a Looked After Child (LAC) then his/her Care Plan, Personal Education Plan and the minutes of LAC meetings.
Data Processors
We use data processors, this is an organisation responsible for processing personal data on behalf of Young Epilepsy. It does so under strict instruction from us and our contract ensures that the standards required by Young Epilepsy, the DPA 2018 and the UK GDPR are upheld at all times.
Some data processors use anonymised personal data for their specific reasons, such as statistical, quality control, security, research or other purposes. Where this occurs, we can confirm the data is always anonymised and Patients cannot be identified from it.
An example of a data processor is Earwig, a software that allows our Education staff to more effectively produce teaching evidence, assessments and reports and to track individual Patient progress. In order to utilise this software, we have to upload and record Patient information.
The growth in cloud technology means that it is likely that the use of data processors will become more common. If you wish to know who our current data processors are please contact the DPO using the details provided.
Complaints/Reviews
Records may also be accessed by independent reviewers, such as when a complaint or other issue is independently investigated.
Anonymisation
Some of the information we hold on our Patients may be anonymised, so that we can share the results more widely. You and/or the patient/young person will not be identifiable in these records.
Retention of records
Young Epilepsy keeps records for different periods depending upon the nature of the record and its value. We only keep records for as long as is necessary for the purposes of this notice. For people using our Health Services different retention policies apply for:
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Interdisciplinary and Diagnostic assessments
Records generated by Young Epilepsy staff will be retained for 20 years after the date the assessment is completed and/or any issues resolved. This is in accordance with the NHS Code of Practice for Health & Social Care records relating to records of a long term illness or an illness that may reoccur. Other records, such as standard/general correspondence and records obtained from others involved with the young person, such as professionals or family members, will be securely destroyed after six years.
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Rehabilitation records
Records generated by Young Epilepsy staff will be retained for 20 years after the date the rehabilitation is completed and/or any issues resolved. This is in accordance with the NHS Code of Practice for Health & Social Care records relating to records of a long term illness or an illness that may reoccur. Other records, such as standard/general correspondence and records obtained from others involved with the young person, such as professionals or family members, will be securely destroyed after six years.
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Preview assessments/visits
Records generated by Young Epilepsy staff will be retained for six years after the date the assessment is completed. Other records, such as standard/general correspondence and records obtained from others involved with the young person, such as professionals or family members, will be securely destroyed after one year.
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Potential referrals for assessment
If we have received records on a young person, who does not end up attending a Preview visit or being assessed, then the records generated by Young Epilepsy staff will be retained for two years after a decision is made not to refer a young person or after contact ceases.
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Video-EEG, OPM MEG and Video-Telemetry records
Records generated by Young Epilepsy staff will be retained for 20 years after the date of the Video-EEG/MEG/Video-Telemetry is completed and/or any issues resolved. This is in accordance with the NHS Code of Practice for Health & Social Care records relating to records of a long term illness or an illness that may reoccur. Other records, such as standard/general correspondence and records obtained from others involved with the young person, such as professionals or family members, will be securely destroyed after six years.
A full copy of the Health Service’s retention schedule is available upon request.
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CCTV
In the unusual occurrence of a CCTV recording being made (usually only live feed is used), the recordings will be kept for a minimum length of time. For example, where the recording needs to be reviewed by a medical professional as part of the assessment process it will be kept until that review has been completed and any issues, such as seeking other professional advice, are resolved.