GDPR & patient record cards in the event of the practice being sold, practice closure or liquidation

Practice closure or in liquidation

Articles 13/14 of the new GDPR regulations states that the patient has the right to be informed of any changes. So if a practice closes every patient (NHS and private should be informed as to where their record cards are being relocated to and the patient has then the right to refuse the proposal and have the record card sent to themselves or elsewhere.

If a practice goes into liquidation then the liquidator then takes on the responsibility of ‘Data Controller’ and the liquidator should be contacting each patient as above..

If NHS England takes the records then NHS E becomes the ‘Data Controller’ and has a similar duty to inform the patients.