Research & Development Privacy Notice

Our research team contributes to large national and international studies as well as local pilot studies, all of which aim to make significant advances in patient care and the treatment options offered to patients. In doing so Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MCHFT) is committed to handling your information securely and in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Processing your Information

In addition to the purposes described in our main Privacy Notice, Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust may process your personal information to support research, clinical audit, service evaluation and innovation activities.

We process personal information to help us to:

Carry out health and care research approved by appropriate regulatory and ethical bodies
Identify and invite patients who may be suitable to take part in research studies
Improve diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes
Monitor the safety and effectiveness of care and treatments
Develop new medicines, treatments and technologies
Evaluate and improve NHS services
Support training and education of healthcare professionals
Contribute to national and international research programmes

Health and care research is an important part of improving NHS services and patient care.

Further information on Research and Development at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust can be found here. This includes a list of current research projects and our Research and Development Strategy for 2025-2032.

Type/Classes of Information Processed

For research purposes, we may process:

Personal details (such as name, NHS number, date of birth and contact details)
Information recorded in your health record (including diagnosis, treatment and care)
Test results, scans and clinical observations
Information you provide through questionnaires, interviews or digital tools
Lifestyle and demographic information

We may also process ‘special category’ data, including:

Physical and mental health information
Genetic and biometric data (where relevant)
Ethnicity and other protected characteristics

Where possible, information used for research will be anonymised or pseudonymised so that you cannot be directly identified.

How your information is used in research

In line with guidance from the Health Research Authority, we want to be clear about how your information may be used:

Your information may be used to check whether you are suitable to take part in a study
If you agree to take part, information collected during the study will be used to answer the research question
Researchers may look at your medical records to collect relevant information
Your information may be linked with other health and care data to improve the quality of research
Results of research studies may be published, but you will not be identified in any reports or publications

Where you have agreed to take part in a study, you will usually be provided with a Participant Information Sheet explaining exactly how your information will be used in that specific project.

Sharing Information

We sometimes need to share the personal information we process for research purposes with other organisations.

These may include:

NHS organisations and other Trusts
Universities and academic institutions
Commercial partners working on approved research
Research sponsors and collaborators
Regulatory and oversight bodies, including the Health Research Authority

Your information will only be shared where it is lawful and necessary to do so, and appropriate safeguards will be in place.

In many cases, researchers will only receive anonymised information.

National Data Opt-Out Programme

The Trust supports the National Data Opt-Out, which allows you to choose whether your confidential patient information is used for purposes beyond your individual care, including research.

Where applicable:

Your National Data Opt-Out preference will be applied
Identifiable information will only be used where there is a clear legal basis

You can find out more or manage your choice at:
https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

Research without consent (Section 251)

In some circumstances, it may not be possible to obtain consent from every individual.

In these cases, confidential patient information may be used under approval granted through Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006.

Applications are reviewed by the Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG), part of the Health Research Authority.

This approval is only granted where:

The research is in the public interest
It is not practicable to obtain consent
Appropriate safeguards are in place to protect confidentiality

Managing Preferences and Withdrawing Consent

Where you are invited to take part in research:

Participation is voluntary
You can choose not to take part
You can withdraw at any time without affecting your care

If you withdraw from a study:

Information already collected may still be used to ensure the research remains reliable
No further information will be collected about you, where this is possible

Security of Information

The Trust takes the security of your information seriously.

For research activities, we ensure:

Access is restricted to authorised staff
Data is held securely within NHS systems or approved environments
Information is anonymised or pseudonymised where possible
Staff follow strict confidentiality and data protection requirements

Retaining your Information

Research data is retained in line with:

NHS Records Management Code of Practice
Research governance requirements
Study-specific protocols

Some research data may need to be kept for extended periods to support long-term follow-up or regulatory requirements.

Your Individual Rights

Your rights are set out in the main Privacy Notice and include:

The right to be informed
The right of access
The right to rectification
The right to object or request restriction

Please note that some rights may be limited where data is used for research purposes, where applying those rights would seriously impair the research.