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Public health privacy notice

Who do you keep information about?

We keep information about:

  • 0-19 Service - All people 0-19 (or 25 in the case of those with a special needs or disabilities) including parents (antenatal) and carers’
  • Sexual Health Service - Any individual over the age of 13 requiring treatment and care
  • NHS Health Checks - Any individual 40-74 eligible for a NHS Health Check
  • Support Treatment and Recover in Darlington through Empowerment (STRIDE) - Any individual requiring services and treatment in relation to substance misuse
  • ACCESS Team - Any individual misusing substances requiring services and treatment
  • STRIDE Young Persons Drug and Alcohol Service – Any young person under the age of 18 requiring support and treatment
  • Stop Smoking Service - Any individual over the age of 12 who smokes and requires treatment
  • Suicide prevention - Any individual over the age of 10 who is notified by the coroner as a suspected suicide. Information and contact details of next of kin, partner or other individual named on the form notifying us of the death.
  • Darlington Health Squad – Any individual requiring support into services and treatment, following a health assessment.

Why do you keep information about me?

We keep information about you to enable the Council to deliver its Public Health functions and deliver services and treatment. 

The GDPR conditions we are relying on to process the personal data are:

  • processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation.
  • Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

In relation to special categories of personal data the condition for processing we are relying on is:

  • Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller

The legal obligations and public task functions we are exercising are set out in the following:

Primary legislation:

  • Health and Social Care Act 2012 Section 1,2A,2B
  • NHS Act 2006 section 73A(2)(e)
    • Section 73B(2)
    • Sections 2B,111 or 249
    • Schedule 1, section 6C, section 7A
  • Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 325

Regulations:

  • Local Authorities (Public Health Functions and Entry to Premises by local Healthwatch representatives) Regulation 2013 (SI2013/351)
  • NHS Bodies and Local Authorities (Partnership Arrangements, Care Trusts, Public Health and Local Healthwatch) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/3094) and Suicide Prevention Strategy for England 2023-28

Who can see my information?

Information can only be accessed by members of the Public Health team.

0 - 19 Service information is shared with Harrogate and District Foundation Trust who share the information with CDDFT, Education, GPs, Other Healthcare Trusts, Social Care providers, other NHS bodies, Early Years settings, Stop Smoking Service.

Sexual Health Service information is shared with other NHS Bodies and sometimes the Police.

STRIDE adult and young person's services and ACCESS Team is shared with those agencies who make a referral and provide support to the individual, including but not limited to other LA services, Police, Prison Service, Probation, NHS partners and third sector and family members and carers.

NHS Health Check Service information is shared with Primary Healthcare Darlington, and The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

Stop Smoking Service information is shared with 0-19 Service, Primary Care, NHS Digital and other NHS Partners.

Suicide Prevention - Information about people who are suspected to have died by suicide is not subject to data protection legislation, but is treated in line with the common law duty of confidentiality.  Data about the deceased may be shared with relevant services to identify support received, including but not limited to mental health services, primary and secondary care, social care, schools/ education services, drug and alcohol support, family / domestic violence support and police.  This information is shared with Tees Esk and Wear Valley (TEWV) NHS Trust, NECS NHS (North of England Care System Support) and the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) as part of the Early Alerts Real Time Surveillance process and to prepare a clinical audit, in order to identify areas for intervention and to prevent further harm.  Anonymised data may be shared with other regional leads in the North East and North Cumbria area to understand local and regional trends.  The information may be used to create local suicide audits and shared in non-identifiable way to inform local priorities. 

Suicide Prevention - Information about next of kin identified from the police form may be used to offer post-vention support to the family or friends of the deceased.  Referrals would only be made with consent.  Information which identifies next of kin or those affected is shared under data sharing agreements.

Darlington Health Squad is shared with County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust, GP practices, and any organisations that a referral is made to provide support, including but not limited to other Local Authority services, Police, Prison Service, Probation, NHS partners, third sector, family members and carers.

How do you store the information you keep about me?

We hold all new information on the Council systems and our network which is ISO27001 certified.  Historic paper-based records that are still within the retention period are stored in lockable cabinets/rooms.  We also store STRIDE and ACCESS Team information on Illy CarePath.

We store information in relation to NHS Health Checks and 0-19 Service on SystmOne. 

Sexual Health Service data is stored on INFORM. 

Stop Smoking Service data is stored on Quit Manager and is held as part of their health care record with the 0-19 Service and Primary Care.

The information for suicide prevention on stored on the Council’s secure network.  All organisations store data relating to the deceased in line with their internal policies.

Darlington Health Squad information is recorded onto the Health Diagnostics system.

How long do you keep information about me?

  • 0-19 Service - The retention period is 25years (or day after 25th birthday).
  • Sexual Health Service - The retention period is 8 years, unless an implant or device is inserted then its 10 years. If the record relates to a child, refer to above (retain until day after 25th birthday).
  • NHS Health Checks - Records are currently stored on GP patient records and therefore would retained for 10 years after death.
  • STRIDE and ACCESS Team - The retention period is 8 years for adults, or under 18 years - 25 years (after 25th birthday)
  • Stop Smoking Service - The retention period is 8 years, unless a young person accessing the service then the retention period is 25years (or the day after 25th birthday).
  • Suicide prevention - Retention period is no longer than 8 years.
  • Darlington Health Squad - The retention period is 8 years, unless a young person accessing the service then the retention period is 25years (or the day after 25th birthday)

This information is destroyed securely when we no longer need it.

How did the Council get my personal data?

  • 0 – 19 Service - Data Subject, parents/carers, other NHS bodies, social care, safeguarding, police.
  • Sexual Health Service - Data Subject, Police, GP, NHS Organisations, PHE, MEG.
  • NHS Health Checks – Data Subject, Provider organisation.
  • STRIDE and ACCESS Team – The data subject and those agencies who make a referral and provide support to the individual, including but not limited to other LA services, Police, Prison Service, Probation, NHS partners and third sector and family members and carers.
  • Stop Smoking Service – Data subject, referring professionals.
  • Suicide prevention -  Suicide prevention - CID 27 form from Police or Coroner, GP Audit and reports from secondary care, postvention support provider, other services who may have worked with the deceased, including but not limited to mental health services, primary and secondary care, social care, schools/ education services, drug and alcohol support, family / domestic violence support and police.
  • Darlington Health Squad – Data subject. 

In cases where your personal data was obtained from a source other than yourself or your representative, we will inform you of the origin of the information within 1 month, unless that information is being used to contact you, in which case, that information should be provided to you at the latest, upon first communication with you.

However, it is not necessary to provide that information in cases where you already possess the information, where recording or disclosure is expressly laid down in law or where provision of the information proves impossible or would involve disproportionate effort.

What sort of information do you keep?

We may use the following information about you to make sure that we provide you with the right service, advice or support.

Personal data

  • Name
  • Identification number
  • Location data
  • Online identifier
  • One or more factors specific to the:-
    • physical
    • physiological
    • genetic
    • mental
    • economic
    • cultural
    • social identity of that natural person.

Special categories of personal data

  • Racial or ethnic origin
  • Religious or philosophical beliefs
  • Genetic
  • Biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person
  • Data concerning health
  • Data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

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