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NHS 24 Explained

The Data Protection Act 1998 is the law which states that information about you can only be used in certain ways.

This Act contains eight principles. One of these is that information must be processed ‘fairly and lawfully’. This means that you have a right to know how we intend to use the information you provide.  It also means that you have a right to privacy, which is upheld through any use of your personal information by the NHS.

The legal duty of confidentiality also governs information passed in confidence. It only allows sharing of this type of information with consent, in the wider public interest or by law.

reviewed 11 January 2008