About the personal information we use
This information notice tells you what to expect when Healthcare Improvement Scotland collects personal data. It applies to information we collect and use about:
- Visitors to our websites
- Job applicants and our current and former employees
- People who volunteer their time to work with us
- Students who are on placement or work experience with us
- Patient and service user experiences of health care provision
- Professional experts and consultants
- Surveys or consultations we conduct
- Complainants and other individuals in relation to a complaint about our work or about an Independent Healthcare provider
- People who raise a patient safety or quality of care concern with us about an NHSScotland service
- Complainants and other individuals in relation to a data protection or freedom of information complaint or enquiry
- People who attend our events or use our services, e,g. those who subscribe to our newsletters or join an event held by us
- Services who are required to register with us and are regulated by us, and
- People who contact us via email or social media
The personal information we use includes information that identifies you such as your name, address, date of birth and postcode.
We also use more sensitive types of personal information, including:
- information about racial or ethnic origin
- political opinions
- religious or philosophical beliefs
- trade union membership
- health
- sex life or sexual orientation.
These are termed special categories of personal data.
The information we use can relate to:
- personal and family details
- education, training and employment details
- financial details
- lifestyle and social circumstances
- goods and services
- visual images
- details held in the patient record
- responses to surveys
Who provides the personal information
When you do not provide information directly to us, we receive it from other individuals and organisations involved in the delivery of health and care services in Scotland. These include:
- other NHS boards
- public bodies
- regulators or law enforcement bodies
- suppliers of goods and services
Our purposes for using personal information
We process personal information to enable us to support:
- the improvement of healthcare services to patients
- maintain our own accounts and records
- promote our services
- to support and manage those who deliver services throughout NHS Scotland:
- employees
- volunteers
- students
- health care professionals
Confidential personal information
In our role of enabling the people of Scotland to experience the best quality of health and social care, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) at times has to obtain and work with confidential personal information. This is information which relates to an identifiable individual and which was obtained in circumstances which require it to be held in confidence.
HIS may obtain and use confidential information where it is necessary for us:
- to provide scrutiny of healthcare in Scotland, for example, to inspect or assess the quality of care provided within a specific service, including healthcare in prisons and in police custody
- to receive and share intelligence about the care systems across Scotland (particularly about the NHS) with other national agencies
- to deal with a complaint or a whistleblowing concern relating to a healthcare provider
- to gather the experiences of patients and service users for improvement purposes