Call at the outpatient reception desk to inform staff that you are about to leave the hospital. If you need another outpatient appointment, please make sure that you have made this and that the receptionist writes it on your appointment card.

We keep confidential all personal information, which you provide about yourself and your medical condition. All of our staff have a legal duty with respect to the confidentiality of your medical record. In order to provide you with the best care possible some of the information will need to be shared with other care professionals in the Trust and community, such as your GP; and only where appropriate other care organisations, such as social services. All of this is limited to a need-to-know basis.

You have a right to request, in writing, for additional restrictions to be placed on who has access to your information. We will always attempt to meet your request, however please be aware that any restrictions you request may have an impact on the level of care that we can provide.

We will use your information to determine the best possible care for you. We may also use it for:

• clinical audit that reviews the current standards of patient care in the Trust against accepted best practice.
• research that investigates new treatments and procedures so that patient care is continually improved. 
• teaching of medical, nursing and other staff.
• anonymised information will be used by the NHS at a local and national level to support the management of the NHS.

Research into new treatments and better ways of providing healthcare is a very important part of our work.

Research is designed to examine whether there are better and more effective methods, which will improve treatment.

We may also ask you if you would agree to participate in a research project during your attendance. You do not have to take part and you have the right to decline or to withdraw from the research at any time even if you do initially agree.

Following your visit, you may be coming into hospital for an operation during which a diseased tissue or a diseased organ may be removed. Your doctor will have explained this to you. After the operation, this tissue or organ will be sent to the pathological laboratory for special examination. Sometimes only part of the tissue or organ that has been removed for clinical reasons is required by the laboratory. It is possible that you may be asked if some of the tissue may be used for research, usually to find out the causes of the disease for which the tissue was removed. We hope that you will consent to this, but if you have any questions or difficulties with this, please discuss it with your consultant.

As part of your treatment some kind of photographic record or video may be made. This will be kept as part of your medical record. The photographs or video will only be seen by those involved in providing your care or those who check the quality of care provided.  Your permission will be obtained if the record is used for any other purpose such as teaching or medical research.

You have a right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to obtain access to your records. In order to do this, you need to write to the Trust Medical Records Department. On payment of a fee, the Trust will provide you with access to your records. Access can be by way of copies or viewing notes with a member of the medical records team. If you have any clinical questions regarding your health care records, we will take reasonable steps to enable you to review your records with a member of the clinical staff in order to explain any terms or notes.