Closed call for evidence

Independent review of physician associates and anaesthesia associates: survey of healthcare professionals

Updated 14 March 2025

Applies to England

There has been a minor change to the wording of one question. Survey responses given before 10 March will still be considered in the Leng review.

Background

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has established an independent review of the physician associate (PA) and anaesthesia associate (AA) professions to make recommendations to inform future government policy, led by Professor Gillian Leng CBE.

The areas the review will consider include the safety of the roles and their contribution to multidisciplinary healthcare teams. The conclusions of the review will help to inform the workforce plan to deliver the 10 Year Health Plan. 

The Leng review will take an open and transparent approach to gathering evidence from all stakeholders and will be based on the best available evidence and data.

This survey of healthcare professionals is targeted at AAs, PAs and those that work with them. The 2 roles are considered separately, and respondents will be asked to choose the role most relevant to them when responding. This survey is one part of a multi-method approach to evidence gathering. 

In line with the review’s commitment to be collaborative and inclusive, there will be other ways for relevant groups and organisations to share their views. This will include, but is not limited to:  

• a call for evidence, requesting data analysis or unpublished research from organisations and individuals
• review of published research
• site visits
• webinars for healthcare professionals
• focus groups for patients

Who we want to hear from

The Leng review is keen to understand the day-to-day practice of AAs and PAs, and the development of these roles.

The survey is open to all healthcare professionals, but we particularly want to hear the views of:

• people currently or previously working as AAs
• people currently or previously working as PAs
• doctors working or previously working with AAs or PAs in multidisciplinary teams

The survey will ask questions appropriate to your role - including separate questions for the AA and PA roles. While the questions are tailored to the respecitve role, they can also be answered by all healthcare professionals.

For the purposes of this review, analysis will focus primarily on the responses from AAs, PAs and those that have experience working alongside them in multidisciplinary teams. However, the review commits to assessing and analysing all feedback received through the surveys.

How to respond

Respond using the online survey. You’ll be asked whether you are a PA, AA or another healthcare professional.

The deadline for completing the survey is 11:59pm on 30 March 2025.

If you have any questions about the review, contact leng.review@dhsc.gov.uk.

Survey questions

In the online survey, respondents will be asked if they want to answer questions about either the:

• AA role
• PA role

The questions they see will therefore only refer to either AAs or PAs (not both).

The survey questions are also listed below. To avoid writing some questions twice, on this page we use the phrase ‘AAs or PAs’. This indicates that a particular question was asked about both the AA and PA role.

Question

Which survey would you like to complete?

• PA survey
• AA survey

About you

Question for those answering the AA survey only

Question

Do you work (currently or previously) as one of the following? (Select the most relevant)

• AA
• Resident doctor, including foundation years
• Specialty and associate specialist doctor
• Consultant
• Other (Please specify)

Question for those answering the PA survey only

Question

Do you work (currently or previously) as one of the following? (Select the most relevant)

• PA
• Resident doctor, including foundation years
• GP (including GP speciality trainees)
• Consultant
• Specialty and associate specialist doctor
• Other (Please specify)

Background questions for AAs or PAs

Question

Which organisation do you work for? (Please specify the trust or primary care network)

(Maximum 150 characters)

Question for AAs only

Question

In which healthcare setting do you work?

• Secondary care
• Other (Please specify)

Question for PAs only

Question

In which healthcare setting do you work?

• Primary care
• Secondary care
• Mental health trust
• Other (Please specify)

Question for AAs or PAs

Question

In which region is the service where you most recently worked as a PA or AA based? (Select all that apply)

• East Midlands
• East of England
• London
• North East England
• North West England
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• South East England
• South West England
• Wales
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and the Humber

Background questions for those who work with AAs or PAs

Question

When did you last work in a healthcare setting where AAs or PAs were part of the multidisciplinary team?

• Within the last 2 years
• Between 2 and 5 years ago
• More than 5 years ago
• Never

Question

In which organisation did you most recently work with AAs or PAs? (Please specify the trust or primary care network)

(Maximum 150 characters)

Question for those who work with AAs only

Question

In which healthcare setting did you most recently work in a team with AAs? (If not relevant, please enter your current setting)

• Secondary care
• Other (Please specify)

Question for those who work with PAs only

Question

In which healthcare setting did you most recently work in a team with PAs? (If not relevant, please enter your current setting)

• Primary care
• Secondary care
• Mental health trust
• Other (Please specify)

Question for those who work with AAs or PAs

Question

In which region is the service where you most recently worked with AAs or PAs based? (Select all that apply)

• East Midlands
• East of England
• London
• North East England
• North West England
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• South East England
• South West England
• Wales
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and the Humber

Initial training and development (questions for AAs or PAs)

Question

When did you qualify as a PA or AA?

• Within the last 2 years
• Between 2 and 5 years ago
• More than 5 years ago

Question

Where did you complete your course in AA or PA studies? (Please provide the name and location of the institution)

(Maximum 150 characters)

Question

Before becoming a PA or AA, did you have any experience working in a health or care role or setting?

• Yes
• No

If yes, what other roles in a health or care setting did you hold before training to become a PA or AA?

(Maximum 500 characters)

Day-to-day practice of PAs

Taking medical histories from patients

Question

How often do PAs in your service take medical histories from patients?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for physician associates to take medical histories from patients?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Providing clinical assessments on patients

Question

How often do PAs in your service provide clinical assessments on patients?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to provide clinical assessments on patients?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Performing physical examinations on patients

Question

How often do PAs in your service perform physical examinations on patients?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to perform physical examinations on patients?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Diagnosing illnesses

Question

How often do PAs in your service diagnose illnesses?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to diagnose illnesses?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Developing management plans

Question

How often do PAs in your service develop management plans?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to develop management plans?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Managing care for patients with long-term chronic conditions

Question

How often do PAs in your service manage care for patients with long-term chronic conditions?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to manage care for patients with long-term chronic conditions?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures

Question

How often do PAs in your service perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Reviewing test results

Question

How often do PAs in your service review test results?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to review test results?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Providing health promotion and disease prevention advice to patients

Question

How often do PAs in your service provide health promotion and disease prevention advice to patients?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to provide health promotion and disease prevention advice to patients?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Supporting innovation, audit and research

Question

How often do PAs in your service support innovation, audit and research?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to support innovation, audit and research?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Teaching, supervising and assessing other team members

Question

How often do PAs in your service teach, supervise and assess other team members?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to teach, supervise and assess other team members?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Interpreting, monitoring and responding to clinical readings and patients’ parameters

Question

How often do PAs in your service interpret, monitor and respond to clinical readings and patients’ parameters?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to interpret, monitor and respond to clinical readings and patients’ parameters?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Providing contraceptive services

Question

How often do PAs in your service provide contraceptive services?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to provide contraceptive services?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Delivering antenatal care

Question

How often do PAs in your service deliver antenatal care?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to deliver antenatal care?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Prescribing medications

Question

How often do PAs in your service prescribe medications?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to prescribe medications?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Ordering ionising radiation

Question

How often do PAs in your service order ionising radiation?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to order ionising radiation?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Delivering immunisations

Question

How often do PAs in your service deliver immunisations?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for PAs to deliver immunisations?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Day-to-day practice of AAs

Reviewing patients prior to surgery and assessing them for anaesthesia

Question

How often do AAs in your service review patients prior to surgery and assess them for anaesthesia?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to review patients prior to surgery and assess them for anaesthesia?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Taking medical histories and clinical assessments, allowing for an anaesthesia plan to be created

Question

How often do AAs in your service take medical histories and clinical assessments, allowing for an anaesthesia plan to be created?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to take medical histories and clinical assessments, allowing for an anaesthesia plan to be created?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Inducing, maintaining and/or waking up patients from anaesthesia under appropriate supervision

Question

How often do AAs in your service induce, maintain and/or wake up patients from anaesthesia under appropriate supervision?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to induce, maintain and/or wake up patients from anaesthesia under appropriate supervision?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Initiating and managing medications, fluid and blood therapy during surgery under supervision

Question

How often do AAs in your service initiate and manage medications, fluid and blood therapy during surgery under supervision?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to initiate and manage medications, fluid and blood therapy during surgery under supervision?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Ensuring there is a plan for patients following their operation and that it is carried out

Question

How often do AAs in your service ensure there is a plan for patients following their operation and that it is carried out?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to ensure there is a plan for patients following their operation and that it is carried out?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Supporting innovation, audit and research

Question

How often do AAs in your service support innovation, audit and research?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to support innovation, audit and research?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Teaching, supervising and assessing other team members

Question

How often do AAs in your service teach, supervise and assess other team members?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to teach, supervise and assess other team members?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Interpreting and monitoring clinical readings and patients’ parameters and responding appropriately

Question

How often do AAs in your service interpret and monitor clinical readings and patients’ parameters and respond appropriately?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to interpret and monitor clinical readings and patients’ parameters and respond appropriately?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Identifying potential issues during surgery and anaesthesia, taking action and seeking appropriate support when required

Question

How often do AAs in your service identify potential issues during surgery and anaesthesia, take action and seek appropriate support when required?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to identify potential issues during surgery and anaesthesia, take action and seek appropriate support when required?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Using anaesthesia techniques and agents, medications and specialist equipment

Question

How often do AAs in your service use anaesthesia techniques and agents, medications and specialist equipment?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to use anaesthesia techniques and agents, medications and specialist equipment?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Prescribing medications

Question

How often do AAs in your service prescribe medications?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to prescribe medications?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Ordering ionising radiation

Question

How often do AAs in your service order ionising radiation?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure
• Not applicable

Question

Do you believe it is appropriate for AAs to order ionising radiation?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

Day-to-day practice of AAs or PAs

Other activities

Question

Please describe any other activities that AAs or PAs in your service carry out. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question

Are there additional activities that you feel your service could assign to AAs or PAs?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

If yes, what additional activities could be assigned to AAs or PAs? (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question for AAs or PAs only

Question

Are there any activities that you currently conduct that you feel uncomfortable about carrying out? (This could include activities you think are potentially unsafe)

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

If yes, what activities are you uncomfortable about carrying out and why? (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question for all respondents except AAs or PAs

Question

Are there any elements of work that you feel uncomfortable about AAs or PAs carrying out? (This could include activities you think are potentially unsafe for AAs or PAs to conduct)

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

If yes, what activities are you uncomfortable about AAs or PAs carrying out and why? (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Identifying AAs or PAs

Question

At your service, are patients told when they are seeing a PA or AA?

• Always
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure

Question

How often do AAs or PAs in your service wear the following items and/or clothing to identify their role to patients and staff?

Specific uniform or clothing?

• Always
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure

Badges?

• Always
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure

Lanyards?

• Always
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure

Other identifying items and/or clothing?

• Always
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never
• Unsure

If you said ‘Always’, ‘Usually’, ‘Sometimes’ or ‘Rarely’, what other identifying items and/or clothing do AAs or PAs in your service wear to identify them to patients and staff? (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question

Do you agree or disagree that patients in your service understand the role of AAs or PAs?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Unsure

Please provide more detail to support your answer regarding patient understanding of the AA or PA role. (If you have suggestions for how this may be improved, please include them here)

(Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question

What changes do you think healthcare services could make to improve how the AA or PA role is implemented? (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Defining the AA or PA role

Question

Do you agree or disagree that the role and responsibilities of AAs or PAs are clearly defined within your organisation?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Unsure

Question

Do you agree or disagree that the role and responsibilities of AAs or PAs are clearly defined at a national level?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Unsure

Question

Do you agree or disagree that a defined scope of practice for AAs or PAs would be helpful?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Unsure

Question

Please provide any detail to support your answer regarding a scope of practice for AAs or PAs. (If you have suggestions for how a defined scope of practice could develop over time, please include them here)

(Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question for all respondents except AAs or PAs

Question

What changes in your service (if any) have you experienced as a result of the introduction or expansion of AAs or PAs? (For example, changes to workload, skills mix or capacity)

(Maximum 2,000 characters)

Questions for all respondents

Question

What do you think could improve the effectiveness of AAs or PAs working in multidisciplinary teams? (Effectiveness can relate to any aspect of how these roles contribute to service quality and patient safety and quality as part of the multidisciplinary team)

(Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question

What do you think would reduce the effectiveness of AAs or PAs in multidisciplinary teams? (This can include factors you think already reduce the effectiveness)

(Maximum 2,000 characters)

Supervision (questions for AAs or PAs)

Question for AAs only

Question

Who most commonly acts as your day-to-day supervisor?

• Consultant
• Other (Please specify)

Question for PAs only

Question

Who most commonly acts as your day-to-day supervisor?

• Consultant
• General practitioner
• Other (Please specify)

Question for AAs or PAs

Question

How confident do you feel that there is enough supervision and support for you in your AA or PA role?

• Extremely confident
• Very confident
• Moderately confident
• Slightly confident
• Not at all confident
• Unsure

Please provide more detail regarding your confidence in supervisory support. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Supervision (questions for those who work with AAs or PAs)

Question

Do you provide, or have you previously provided, day-to-day supervision for any AAs or PAs?

• Yes, currently
• Yes, previously
• No

Question

What other relationships, if any, do you hold with AAs or PAs in your service? (Select all that apply)

• Employer
• Training lead or trainer
• Governance lead
• Other (Please specify)
• None of the above

Question

How confident do you feel that AAs or PAs deployed in your service receive enough supervision and support?

• Extremely confident
• Very confident
• Moderately confident
• Slightly confident
• Not at all confident
• Unsure

Please provide more detail regarding your confidence in supervisory support for AAs or PAs. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question for those who work with AAs only

Question

What ratio of supervisor to AA do you work to in your setting?

• 1:1
• 1:2
• Unsure
• Other (Please specify)

Question for those who work with PAs only

Question

What ratio of supervisor to PA do you work to in your setting?

• 1:1
• 1:2
• 1:3 to 1:4
• 1:5 to 1:6
• 1:7 or more
• Unsure
• Other (Please specify)

Continuing professional development (questions for AAs or PAs only)

Question

Does your work schedule allow time for continuing professional development?

• Yes
• No

Question

Would you like more opportunities for career progression?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

If yes, what opportunities for career progression would you like? (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Patient safety questions for AAs or PAs

Question

How confident would you feel reporting a patient safety incident?

• Extremely confident
• Very confident
• Moderately confident
• Slightly confident
• Not at all confident
• Unsure

Question

How confident do you feel that you would be supported by your service following a patient safety incident?

• Extremely confident
• Very confident
• Moderately confident
• Slightly confident
• Not at all confident
• Unsure

Question

Please explain your answer. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Question

Have you ever been involved in a patient safety incident?

• Yes
• No

If yes, please provide any details about how the patient safety incident might have been prevented. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Patient safety questions for those who work with AAs or PAs

Question

Have any AAs or PAs in your team been involved in a patient safety incident?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

If yes, please provide any details about how the patient safety incident might have been prevented. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Patient safety: reporting incidents

Question

Have you ever reported any patient safety incidents, including incidents that did not involve AAs or PAs?

• Yes
• No

Question to AAs or PAs answering ‘yes’

Question

Who was involved in the patient safety incidents that you reported? (Select all that apply)

• Yourself
• Other AAs or PAs
• Resident doctors
• Consultants
• Speciality and associate specialist doctors, registrars or other doctors
• Nurses
• Others (Please specify)

Question to respondents other than AAs or PAs answering ‘yes’

Question

Who was involved in the patient safety incidents that you reported? (Select all that apply)

• Yourself
• AAs or PAs
• Resident doctors
• Consultants
• Speciality and associate specialist doctors, registrars or other doctors
• Nurses
• Others (Please specify)

Question to all respondents answering ‘yes’

Question

Who have you reported patient safety incidents to? (Select all that apply)

• Consultant
• General practitioner
• Organisation leadership
• Freedom to Speak Up Guardian or other whistleblowing support role
• Other (Please specify)

Question to all respondents

Question

Describe any changes to the AA or PA role - or the way this role is integrated into multidisciplinary teams - that you feel would help increase patient safety. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Regulation

Question

What impact do you expect the General Medical Council’s regulation of AAs or PAs to have on the following:

The safety of the AA or PA role?

• Very positive impact
• Some positive impact
• Neither positive nor negative impact
• Some negative impact
• Very negative impact
• Unsure

The support that AAs or PAs receive in their roles?

• Very positive impact
• Some positive impact
• Neither positive nor negative impact
• Some negative impact
• Very negative impact
• Unsure

Perception of AAs or PAs within the medical profession?

• Very positive impact
• Some positive impact
• Neither positive nor negative impact
• Some negative impact
• Very negative impact
• Unsure

Public perception of the AA or PA role?

• Very positive impact
• Some positive impact
• Neither positive nor negative impact
• Some negative impact
• Very negative impact
• Unsure

Please provide any detail regarding your expectations on the General Medical Council’s regulation to help explain your answers. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Other

Question

Please add any other comments that you think might be useful to the Leng review. (Maximum 2,000 characters)

Next steps

The data gathered will help to inform the conclusions and recommendations set out in the Leng review.

Privacy notice

Summary of initiative or policy

The Leng review will consider the safety of PA and AA roles and their contribution to multidisciplinary healthcare teams. The conclusions of the review will help to inform the refreshed workforce plan that the government has committed to publish in summer 2025 and wider government policy. The review’s terms of reference sets out the purpose and timing of the review.

Data controller

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is the data controller.

What personal data we collect

Through this survey we will be collecting a limited amount of personal data - this will be limited to the name of the organisation that survey respondents work for and the nature of their role.

How we use your data (purposes)

We will use this data to inform the deliberations of the review and support analysis of the survey. Data will also be used to ensure that the review is hearing from an appropriate range of respondents.

This data will only be used to inform analysis - no personal data will be reported or released in the final report or in any associated or supporting documents and/or materials.

Legal basis for processing personal data

Under Article 6 of the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful basis we rely on for processing this personal data is:

• e) the processing is necessary to perform a task in the public interest or for our official functions and the task or function has a clear basis in law

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We will not pass personal data to any third party outside the independent chair of the review, and the supporting secretariat provided by DHSC.

Responses, including personal data, will be seen by DHSC’s third-party supplier (SocialOptic), who is responsible for running and hosting the online survey.

Anonymised data may be shared with other teams in DHSC for the purpose of analysing the survey results.

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Storage of data by SocialOptic is provided via secure servers located in the UK. Data will also be stored by DHSC, in the UK.

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We will retain personal information for the length of the review, which is due to conclude in June 2025.

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We will store this material within DHSC’s secure systems and in line with DHSC’s data protection policies. SocialOptic is Cyber Essentials certified.

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By law, data subjects have a number of rights, and this processing does not take away or reduce these rights under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 applies.

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• the right to get copies of information - individuals have the right to ask for a copy of any information about them that is used
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Their postal address is:

Information Commissioner’s Office
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No decision will be made about individuals solely based on automated decision making (where a decision is taken about them using an electronic system without human involvement) which has a significant impact on them.

Changes to this policy

We keep this privacy notice under regular review, and we will update it if necessary. All updated versions will be marked by a change note on this page. This privacy notice was last updated on 7 March 2025.