Sharing patient records with the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)
The General Practitioners Committee (GPC) has now concluded a review of the management and use of patient data by the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). The GPC are content that practices can safely and lawfully share data with the CPRD.
The GPC carried out tests on a number of theoretical risks and considered them to be below any threshold of concern. There is a significant pseudonymisation and key data process to protect patient identity and data security during the process used by the CPRD. No free text, documents or associated files are extracted from records.
Known opt outs are not processed but there is still a slight anomaly with old type 2 opt outs, which are now only registered nationally via the National Data Opt-Out. As these are not currently written back into practice systems there is a possibility for a patient to register an opt out in this way and have their data used if they do not tell their practice. The GPC state that this anomaly will be corrected early next year.
If CPRD do contact your practice you should:
- Complete a DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment)
- Add an entry in your ROPA (Record of Processing Activities)
- Ensure your privacy notices are up to date and cover the use of patient data for research purposes
- Communicate to your patients through the practice’s usual channels that you share data with CPRD for research purposes.
CPRD will provide pre-prepared sample documents for practices to use when they contact the practice, which the GPC have seen and signed off.
Further information on CPRD can be found here.
Last updated : 23 Oct 2019Mword Issue 56 - Dr Michelle Drage's latest update for GPs and practice teams on Covid-19 (17 Apr 2020)
Mword Issue 55 - Dr Michelle Drage's latest update for GPs and practice teams on Covid-19 (15 Apr 2020)
Mword Issue 54 - Dr Michelle Drage's latest update for GPs and practice teams on Covid-19 (09 Apr 2020)
Mword Issue 53 - Dr Michelle Drage's latest update for GPs and practice teams on Covid-19 (07 Apr 2020)
Mword Issue 52 - Dr Michelle Drage's latest update for GPs and practice teams on covid-19 (02 Apr 2020)
Call-out for remote consulting resources (01 Apr 2020)
If you are a GP with extensive experience of remote consulting we are urgently looking for instructional videos to explain how to safely conduct a number of examinations via phone...Covid-19 PPE and other supplies update (01 Apr 2020)
Our Londonwide Buying Group partners are working to support practices. There is a high demand for practice supplies, especially PPE which is in short supply everywhere. Londonwide LMCs’ Buying Group...Londonwide LMCs' April 2020 Newsletter (01 Apr 2020)
...Mword Issue 51 - Dr Michelle Drage's latest update for GPs and practice teams on covid-19 (30 Mar 2020)
Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.