Why we collect information about you
Health care professionals who provide you with care are required by law to maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you receive. These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare and help protect your safety.
Data is collected and held for the purpose of providing healthcare services to students, this includes monitoring the quality of care provided. In carrying out this role, the College Nurse may collect information about you that helps her respond to your queries and / or helps to secure specialist services. This data may be in written form and / or digital form.
Details we collect about you
The records the College Nurse may hold about you include the following: your name, address and date of birth, emergency contact details, academic program, matriculation term and matriculation year. They may also contain sensitive information about your health, such as outcomes of your nursing assessment and contact you have with the College Nurse, such as appointments and consultations.
Notes, letters, reports, and emails relating to your care or about your health, details about your treatment and care, results of investigations and / or tests, and information from other health professionals are also held.
How your information is kept safe and confidential
The College Nurse is committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully, in accordance with applicable legislation:
- General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)
- UK Data Protection Act 2018
- UK Human Rights Act 1998
- Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
The College Nurse uses electronic and paper health records. A combination of working practices and technology are used to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Your records are backed up securely. The College Nurse ensures that information held is kept in secure locations protected by appropriate security and that access is restricted to the College Nurse. The external data processors used ( have their own security arrangements in place.
If you do not wish to have your records stored electronically, please make this request in writing to the College Nurse so that only paper health records stored in a locked filing cabinet can be kept for you instead.
The College Nurse will only ever pass on information about you, if it is reasonably believed that others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. Information will not be disclosed to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (such as risk of serious harm to yourself or others or where the law requires this information to be passed on).
You can object to your personal information being shared with other healthcare providers, but you should be aware that this may in some instances, affect your care, as important information about your health might not be available to healthcare staff in other organisations. If this limits the treatment that you can receive, this will be explained to at the time you object.
To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may also be used to help protect the health of the public and or other students, for instance during an outbreak of a communicable disease such as, but not limited to an outbreak of norovirus, Scarlet Fever and Meningitis. During such outbreaks, the College Nurse may consult the University Advisory Group on Communicable Diseases and or UK Health Security Agency or other statutory body.
Sharing Information in the interest of the College and the student
At the start of your time at Â鶹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çCollege, your consent will be sought to share your photo id and specific health information, if you carry an adrenalin auto injector or have a potentially serious medical condition. This information may be shared with the Porters’ Lodge and the Catering department so that during a first aid emergency you can be easily identified. You have the right not to consent, but you need to be aware that this may affect the First Aid care you receive.
Identifying Risk
Database searches are carried out at least annually to identify those affected by certain conditions and / or disabilities previously disclosed, via the electronic health questionnaire or College Nurse consultation. This is so the College Nurse can asses their condition and potential health needs whilst at Â鶹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çCollege, and provide the relevant health promotion advice.
Safeguarding
To ensure that safeguarding matters are managed appropriately, access to identifiable information will be shared in some limited circumstances where it is legally required for the safety of the individuals concerned. The College safeguarding policy and procedures will be followed.
Record retention
Your College Nurse records will be kept for 8 years after you have left College, in line with the NHS England Records Management Code of Practice 2021 recommendation for the retention of health records.
Access to your Information
You have the right to see or have a copy of your College Nurse Records, with some exceptions. You do not need to give a reason to see your data. Requests for access to your own data are made in witing. Under special circumstances, some information may be withheld. If you wish to have a copy of the information held about you, please contact the College Nurse in the first instance.
Change of details
It is important that you tell the College Nurse if any of your details, such as your name or address, have changed so that your records can be kept as accurate and up to date as possible.
Mobile telephone number
The College Nurse may use your mobile number to send you reminders about your appointments, to provide you with information or to check your condition if you are unwell. Please let the College Nurse know, if you do not wish to receive communication on your mobile.
Data Protection
The controller for your personal data is Â鶹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çCollege, Cambridge CB3 9BB. The Data Protection Officer for the College is the Office of Intercollegiate Services Ltd (OIS LTD.) [12B King’s Parade, Cambridge; 01223 768745; college.dpo@ois.cam.ac.uk]. OIS Ltd. should be contacted if you have any concerns about how the College is managing your personal information, or if you require advice on how to exercise your rights as outlined in this statement. The person within the College otherwise responsible for data protection at the time of issue, and the person who is responsible for monitoring compliance with relevant legislation in relation to the protection of personal data, is the Bursar.
If you have concerns or are unhappy about any of the services provided by the College Nurse, please contact the College Nurse in the first instance informally. If concerns remain after contact with the College Nurse, further issues can be reported to the Senior Tutor.
This statement replaces the previous statements on Confidentiality and Information Sharing, and is kept under review.
Last review: July 2023
Further Information
NHS England
Nursing & Midwifery Council
Information Commissioner's Office