Confidentiality Statement

Privacy notice – Occupational Health

Confidentiality

The Occupational Health Service (OHS) is committed to maintaining the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of service users at all times. We adhere to the principles of data protection legislation, the General Medical Council and Nursing & Midwifery Codes of Confidentiality.

The OHS uses your personal information to allow us to advise and support you in accordance with your requirements and the consent you have given us.

The service is medically confidential. The medical records are securely stored in line with data protection legislation and are, in ordinary circumstances, only accessible to occupational health (OH) staff. All OHS staff adhere to a strict code of ethics in relation to the confidentiality of all consultations, telephone contact and the maintenance of medical records.

Any information obtained by the occupational health doctor or nurse is confidential to the OHS. Under ordinary circumstances no information is divulged to any third party, including the person's general practitioner (GP) without your informed consent. 

There are specific circumstances in which we might need to share information about you beyond OHS.  These specific circumstances include situations in which there appear to be a serious or imminent risk to your own or to others’ safety, or those circumstances in which the OHS staff would be liable to civil or criminal court procedure if they did not disclose the information. Even in these circumstances, we would try to speak with you beforehand.

 Usually, any recommendations and advice on placement or return to work are based on the functional effects of the medical condition and its prognosis. Generally, there is no requirement for the manager to know the diagnosis or receive clinical details. Reports to management concerning an individual’s fitness for work will always be discussed and agreed with the individual concerned prior to sending the report. This advice should be treated by the recipient as sensitive (special category’) personal data in respect of data protection legislation and can be shared by the recipient only and with the individual’s consent with others who have a legitimate need to know (e.g., because they will be responsible for implementing adjustments in the workplace).

For more information about how we handle your personal information, how long this information is retained, and your rights under data protection legislation, please

see https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/general- data

Data Protection Information (this statement is included on all questionnaires – health screening / health surveillance forms that staff / students complete)

The information that you supply on this questionnaire will be held in confidence by the University Occupational Health Service as part of your occupational health record. For full details of how your personal information is used by the University Occupational Health Service, please see http://www.oh.admin.cam.ac.uk/general- information/confidentiality-statement