Privacy Notice – Lung Health Check
Tees Valley Cancer Alliance have been selected to take part in the national Targeted Lung Health Checks pilot. The aim of the pilot is to identify lung cancers at an earlier stage to result in better treatment outcomes.
Please read this Privacy Notice carefully as it sets out the basis on which any personal data we process will be handled. This Notice sets out the types of personal data that we collect about you and will explain how and why your personal data is used. We will also explain how long your data will be kept and when, why and with whom your data may be shared.
The Notice sets out the legal basis we have for processing your personal data and explains the effects of refusing to provide the personal data requested. We will also explain the various rights and choices that you have when it comes to your personal data and how you can contact us.
What personal data do we collect about you and where from?
Information from your telephone triage appointment, nurse appointment and possible CT scan, and your GP Practice will be kept on a register of people who meet the eligibility criteria. This enables us to provide the Targeted Lung Health Check service, monitor your needs and the quality of care provided. The register holds your full name, NHS number, gender, date of birth, ethnic group, phone numbers, correspondence addresses, and details of your GP Practice, as well as details of your medical record related to your lung health.
Who do we share your personal data with?
The Targeted Lung Health Check service will keep information about you and your lung care to ensure we deliver a safe and quality service. The register is maintained by InHealth Ltd and their subsidiary, InHealth Intelligence. Both companies are NHS Business Partners contracted by the NHS to deliver this service.
If you are eligible for a CT scan, your images will first be securely transferred directly to Aidence, a sub-contracted automated lung nodule detection tool, and then onto Heart & Lung Health (HLH), a sub-contracted Radiologist reporting service. The scan and results will then be communicated to InHealth and the Radiology departments of your local hospital (South Tees NHS Foundation Trust, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust). InHealth will issue the results to you directly via letter.
Dispatch of Invitation and Result Letters
To send appointment and result letters, InHealth use letter dispatch services provided by Synertec Ltd and iMail (formerly UK Mail), who securely print and dispatch our letters via Royal Mail business class. The letter information is only retained for a short period which allows printing and dispatch. Once dispatched, data is retained for 90 days to allow for monitoring of service performance and is deleted afterwards.
Gov.uk Notify Service
Gov.uk Notify provides a text messaging service which is used by InHealth to send text messages to patients in relation to their appointments. To support this, your mobile telephone number and time/venue of your appointments is shared with Gov.uk Notify. This data is used only for this purpose and is retained for a short period to allow for monitoring of service performance.
How long do we keep your personal data for?
We will keep your information for the length of the contract of the Tees Valley Targeted Lung Health Check service. After this time, we (including Aidence and HLH) will securely transfer your data and images to the new provider under instruction from the NHS Commissioner, and then delete all personal data in a secure manner.
Who has access to your personal data?
The security arrangements that protect your privacy ensure that your data is only accessed by staff involved in the delivery of the Targeted Lung Health Check Service. This includes healthcare professionals involved in your direct care working for InHealth, Aidence, HLH or the NHS.
How will we communicate with you?
We will communicate with you via letter, text (SMS) message, telephone and face-to-face regarding your Lung Health Check. If you wish to talk to us about your communication preferences, please call the Bookings Office on
What legal basis do we have for using your information?
InHealth have been commissioned by the Integrated Care Board (Tees Valley locality) to deliver this service in support of your direct patient care. Patients are identified for the service via your GP Practice. If you are eligible for a CT scan the images will be provided to Aidence, HLH and the local Hospital Trusts and we will provide results back to your GP Practice and yourself. If you do not qualify for a CT scan, we will provide the results to your GP Practice and in writing to yourself.
How do we protect your information?
We aim to ensure all personal data is held and processed in a secure way and we only let healthcare professionals who have a legitimate interest in your care access to your data. Examples of our security include:
- Encryption – meaning that the information is hidden so that it cannot be read without special knowledge (such as a password)
- Controlling access to systems and networks, this allows us to stop people who are not allowed to see your data from accessing it
- Controlling access for different user roles, so only certain data required for a specific role is accessible
- Training our staff to ensure they know how to responsibly and securely handle data, including how and when to report if something goes wrong
- Regular testing of our technology, including keeping up-to-date on the latest security updates.
No personal data will be transferred outside the UK.
Can you access the information we hold?
Of course, please email the Data Protection Officer (details below) to request a Subject Access Request Form.
Where can I get further information?
If you have any queries or concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact:
Mr Michael Pennington (Data Protection Officer)
InHealth Intelligence, Unity House, Road Five, Winsford Industrial Estate, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 3RB
Email: dpo@inhealth-intelligence.com
Telephone: 01270 765124
For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing issues, the Information Commissioners Officer (ICO) are always happy to help:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate)
