The Surgery uses a data processing company called DocMail to handle some mailings to patients. Typically, this is for bulk mailings such as the invitations to attend the flu clinics where it is difficult to accommodate the administrative work involved without affecting our ability to serve patients. This is permissible under guidance from both the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Department of Health (DoH) subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act
The Surgery has strictly adhered to this guidance in setting up the partnership with DocMail.
- The Surgery remains the data controller and as such has the responsibility for ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Act. We are not able to pass on those responsibilities to DocMail whose role is that of a data processor.
- There is a written contract between The Surgery and CFH – Total Document management Ltd in addition to the standard terms of business that are published on the DocMail website.
- That contract stipulates that DocMail can only act in accordance with instructions from The Surgery i.e. they can only print and mail letters in accordance with data provided by us. They are not able to do anything else with that data.
- The contract also creates a legal requirement for DocMail to act in accordance with the seventh principle of the Data Protection Act.
- The Partners of The Surgery have satisfied themselves that DocMail have provided sufficient guarantees in respect of the technical and organisational security measures governing the processing to be carried out.
- The partners have taken, and will continue to take, reasonable steps to ensure that DocMail are compliant with these security measures.
Please find below some more information about DocMail and how we work with them to ensure that we protect our patients’ personal data at all times.
DocMail is provided by CFH Total Document Management Ltd a secure print and mailing company who provide print and mailing services for Local Government, GPs, Dentists, Medical practices, Schools, Exam Boards and Banks etc. throughout the UK.
The system can be found online at www.docmail.co.uk and requires a secure user name and password for us to log on and upload our letters and address lists to create the printed output for dispatch to Royal Mail. The system allows us to upload a letter template and mailing data for the patients we want to write to via a secure web portal.