UK NSC privacy notice
The personal data the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) collects, uses, and sometimes shares to do its job, how this data is protected and your rights.
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises ministers and the NHS in the 4 UK countries about all aspects of screening and supports implementation of screening programmes.
We may process your personal data when you interact with the UK NSC. This includes if you:
- subscribe as an individual or organisation to updates on UK NSC recommendations or participate in any of the UK NSC’s public consultations
- subscribe to UK NSC Blog updates
This privacy notice sets out how the UK NSC will use your personal data (as defined by the Information Commissioner’s Office) and your rights under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Your data
Purpose
If you subscribe to UK NSC recommendations or the UK NSC Blog, we use your data to send you updates about UK NSC topics you are interested in.
If you respond to a public consultation on a screening evidence review, the processing of your data helps us to develop effective recommendations to ministers.
The data
For updates or blog article subscribers we will process your:
- name
- email address
For UK NSC stakeholders who engage in a UK NSC consultation we will process your:
- name
- email address
- job title (where given)
- employer (where given)
- opinions
- sensitive personal data (includes personal patient experience, race or ethnic origin, or information about someone’s sex life or sexual orientation).
Please try to avoid including sensitive (special category) personal data (for example, detailed health data about yourself or others). However, if you choose to provide such information, we will handle it under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Legal basis of processing
Our lawful basis under the UK GDPR for handling personal data is
- Public task (Article 6(1)(e))
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller
UK NSC develops evidence-based recommendations on population health screening across the UK. This is in the public’s interest.
Who can access the data you send us
We share personal data with colleagues within the UK NSC secretariat and relevant policy teams who need it to carry out their work, plus UK NSC committee members as required.
Your data is stored on systems run by companies that provide our website, email, and consultation platforms. We do not share your data with these companies, but they may be able to access it as part of running these services. These companies are bound by the same UK data protection laws as we are.
We may share your personal data when required to by law, for example in relation to a request made under the:
How we protect your data
All personal data is handled in confidence.
We keep your data safe using security measures like password controls, encryption, and staff training.
When we publish responses to UK NSC public consultations we remove personal information from responses from individuals.
We may publish responses from organisations in full, but we will remove contact details unless they agree to have their name published.
We will not consider or publish any responses which are openly defamatory or offensive.
If we use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support our analysis, we only use DHSC‑approved AI tools, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, which operate within DHSC’s secure IT environment and protect all input and output data under Enterprise Data Protection.
Retention
Personal data shared to enable subscription to our services or to register as a stakeholder will be kept by us while the UK NSC continues to exist, or until you opt out of these services.
We keep consultation responses for 15 years because they might help us update our guidance in the future. This would include, for example, personal data about representatives of organisations.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- object to the processing of your personal data.
- ask us how we use your data and ask for a copy of it.
- ask us to correct any mistakes in your personal data straight away
- ask us to add to your data if there are things missing
- ask us to delete your data if we no longer need it
In some cases, you can ask us to limit how we use your data. For example, if you think the data we have about you is wrong.
Contact details
The data controller for your personal data is the Department of Health and Social Care. The contact details for the data controller are:
Data Protection Officer
Department of Health and Social Care
1st Floor North
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU
Email: data_protection@dhsc.gov.uk
Complaints
If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113. Email: casework@ico.org.uk
Complaining to the Information Commissioner does not affect your right to take legal action.
Updates to this page
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UK NSC privacy notice updated to cover personal data the UK NSC collects, uses and sometimes shares to do its job, including when people respond to a public consultation on screening evidence.
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Updated contact details for data controller.
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First published.