Key Points

Please take a moment to review these points, reflect on their significance and consider how they apply to your own experiences.

Tick to confirm (optional):

• Ask local advice if unsure about accessing, sharing, sending, printing, correcting or hiding patient information.
• Seek help when a caller's authority is unclear, proxy/shared contact details make a message unsafe, information has been sent to the wrong person, staff access lacks a clear work reason, or a patient asks about data use/rights.
• Report incidents and near misses such as wrong email, misdirected letters, overheard disclosures or unauthorised record access.
• Report promptly through your local procedure rather than judging seriousness or notifiability on your own.
• Record factual details through the local incident route and notify the practice manager, information‑governance lead or DPO as advised.
• Use incidents to inform changes to practice processes (for example how documents are handed out) to reduce future risk.