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Digital

NHS DigiTrials Recruitment Service: GDPR information

Summary

How the NHS DigiTrials Recruitment Service processes data and your rights.

Controller NHS England
How we use the information (processing activities)

The NHS DigiTrials Recruitment Service  is used by requesting trials/researchers to create cohorts of individuals who are suitable to participate in a clinical trial or clinical research that meets the definition as set out in the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research, and as overseen by the Health Research Authority.

The service does this using the criteria provided by the requesting organisation and then analysing and linking the data which NHS England already holds as a data controller.
Does this contain sensitive (special category) data such as health information? Yes
Who are recipients of this data?

In most cases the studies/research team will not be directly receiving any patient data as part of the invitation process (unless this is supported by an appropriate legal basis such as a Section 251).

The minimum data required for the invitations to be sent will be shared with an NHS England 3rd party provider who send out invitations as NHS England’s data processor.

See the data release uses register for more details.
Is data transferred outside the UK? No
How long the data is kept 3 years minimum after no longer required
Our lawful basis for holding this data Legal obligation
Your rights
  • Tick Be informed
  • Tick Get access to it
  • Tick Rectify or change it
  • Cross Erase or remove it
  • Tick Restrict or stop processing it
  • Cross Move, copy or transfer it
  • Cross Object to it being processed or used
  • Cross Know if a decision was made by a computer rather than a person
How can you withdraw your consent?

Consent is not the basis for processing, however, if an individual has previously opted out of sharing their health data for planning and research purposes by submitting a National Data Opt-out, then they will not be invited to take part in a trial.

This service covers the invitation to participate in a trial or research project. If an individual is interested, they would need to contact the trial/research team and give their consent to participate. Once in the trial an individual can withdraw at any time.
Is the data subject to decisions made solely by computers? (automated decision making) No
Where does this data come from? This is data held by NHS England, typically collected under S254 or other legal basis.
The legal basis for collecting this data

Legal obligation as directed by the NHS DigiTrials Recruitment Services Directions 2026.