Information about your health and care helps the NHS to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments.

NHS Digital has a legal responsibility to collect data about NHS and social care services.

The NHS cannot analyse all information on its own, so we safely and securely share some with researchers, analysts and organisations who are experts in making sense of complex information. We only share what’s needed for each piece of research, and wherever possible, information is removed so that you cannot be identified.

You can choose not to have information about you shared or used for any purpose beyond providing your own treatment or care.

There are two types of opt out, Type 1 (which covers research data) and Type 2, the national data opt out (see below). The diagram (attached) explains the difference, but basically the first opt out is about records held by your GP and the second is about data held by NHS Digital. The difference in NHS Digital’s words is below:

Opt out of sharing your confidential patient information

Patients should complete this form and return it to the surgery for a Type 1 opt out to be processed.

The type 2 opt out can be done via the online web portal for national data opt outs (on the link below).

Type 2 opt-out

For more information:

NHS – Make your choice

NHS – Other ways to make a choice about data sharing