Scottish Primary Care Information Resource (SPIRE)
SPIRE has been developed to help GPs, the NHS in Scotland and researches learn from information held at GP practices.
The use of information from GP patient records will be improved to help plan and improve health and care services in Scotland.
What are the benefits of sharing GP patient information?
SPIRE is a service that will be used to help NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government plan for Scotland’s health and care needs.
It allows information from GP patient records to be transferred electronically and held securely at NHS National Services Scotland (who support the NHS by gathering information and producing statistical information and analysis that helps NHS Scotland make the right decisions for patients.)
SPIRE uses information from GP practices all over Scotland in a safe and secure way.
Some of the ways the use of information provided via SPIRE could help everyone in Scotland are e.g.
- Improving the quality of care for all patients
- Planning services and care for people who have a condition or health need
- Responding to major public health issues like flu epidemics
- Improving the provision of health and care to vulnerable or disadvantaged groups
- Developing knowledge about the uptake of vital medicines and vaccines
- Supporting research for particular illnesses
What information will be used?
To understand and analyse the data, information such as your date of birth, gender, diagnoses and prescribed medicines will be used from your GP patient records.
To protect your confidentiality, these details will be encrypted before they are sent. So you can be confident that your information is secure at all times.
How will your information be kept safe and secure?
There are strict rules governing how information is managed and all staff involved have a legal duty to keep information safe and secure.
Visit spire.scot to find out more about how NHS National Services Scotland safeguard patient confidentiality.
What choices do you have?
If you are happy for NHS Scotland to use information from your GP records in this way, then you don’t need to do anything – it will happen automatically.
If you have any questions about SPIRE or wish to know more about how confidential information is managed, just visit spire.scot Alternatively call NHS Inform on 0800 22 44 88 to find out more.
**If you do not want information from your GP patient records to be used in this way, you will need to notify your GP practice. Write or speak to your GP Practice and tell that you “want to opt out of SPIRE”. They will ensure this is dealt with accordingly.
SPIRE will be phased across Scotland from January 2017. You can opt out at any time.