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999RESPOND2 Video Consultation Recordings Privacy Notice

999RESPOND2 is a National Institute for Health and Care Research funded study. It builds on earlier 999 RESPOND work and examines emergency dispatch decisions using video consultation. The study aims to improve how critical care is directed to people who need it most. Findings may also support staff training and inform national policy. 

The Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (WAST) is the sponsor and data controller for the research use of video consultation recordings captured as part of the 999RESPOND2 study.

Video recording is temporarily enabled on the GoodSam instant-on-scene video streaming system used by the EMRTS Emergency Critical Care Hub. Researchers will analyse interactions at the scene of selected 999 calls, including communication and, where relevant to the analysis, visible expressions and actions. 

The study is being delivered with the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS), hosted by Swansea Bay University Health Board, and academic research colleagues at the University of Warwick. 

Our contact details

Name: Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust

Address: Ty Elwy, Unit 7
Richard Davies Road
St Asaph Business Park
St Asaph
Denbighshire 
LL17 0LJ

Study lead Dr Nigel Rees, Head of Research & Innovation

Email: Nigel.Rees5@wales.nhs.uk

The type of personal information we collect and process

As part of the 999RESPOND2 Research Project, during an emergency call, a live video link may be used to enable the control room clinician to gain a better understanding of a patients symptoms to help determine the level of care – and response – they require. For selected incidents within the study, that live stream will be recorded. The recording may show and hear:

  • The patient and the care or triage taking place;
  • the incident scene and identifiable locations;
  • members of staff, relatives, bystanders or other people who are present;
  • health, safeguarding or other sensitive information that is visible or discussed.

This study will record the video stream from some 999 incident scenes. A patient, or an appropriate consultee where required, will be approached for consent to use the recording after the incident, before the recording is released to the academic research team. If consent is not obtained, the recording will not be used for the research and will be deleted in line with the study arrangements. In addition to the video recordings, the study will collect:

Identity and contact details 

For example your name, address, postcode, NHS number, date of birth and contact information, where needed to identify you, approach you about the study and manage withdrawal. 

Health and incident information 

Information about your physical or mental health, the circumstances of the incident, care or triage, and any safeguarding information that is relevant. 

Study administration 

Your participant study ID, consent or consultee documentation, contact history and the study record used to track whether your data may be included. 

 

How we get the personal information and why we have it

Because this research takes place in an emergency setting, you may not be approached for consent before the video recording and consultation occurs. An EMRTS patient liaison nurse will seek consent after the incident at the earliest appropriate opportunity. If you lack capacity at that time, an appropriate consultee may be approached. If you later regain capacity, the research team will follow the approved study process for seeking your own agreement.

Taking part is voluntary. You can decline or withdraw without giving a reason, and this will not affect your medical care. If consent is refused, the recording will be deleted. If consent cannot be obtained, the recording will not be used for the research and will be deleted at the end of the study.

Consent to use the video recording and to take part in the study is an ethical and governance requirement and gives you a choice about participation.

Under data protection law, WAST relies on the following legal bases for the research processing: 

  • UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e): processing is necessary for a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority. 
  • UK GDPR Article 9(2)(j): processing of special category data is necessary for scientific research purposes, with appropriate safeguards. 
  • Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 4: the research condition, where processing is necessary, carried out in accordance with the statutory research safeguards and in the public interest. 

Who will access to your personal information

Access is restricted to authorised people who need the information for the study. This may include healthcare professionals and research team members from: 

  • WAST; 
  • EMRTS and Swansea Bay University Health Board; 
  • the University of Warwick, which is the main academic recipient of approved video recordings for analysis. 

Approved recordings are released to the University of Warwick only after the required consent has been obtained. The University of Bristol will not have access to the video recordings, although it may receive redacted call recordings and other redacted study information for the wider research project. Relevant data processing agreements and confidentiality requirements are in place. 

What you say will be treated confidentially. However, if information indicates likely harm to another person or criminality, the researcher may have a duty to report it to an appropriate authority.

How the information is stored and shared 

  • The video is initially held securely within the GoodSam cloud service in UK data centres. 
  • Once consent has been received, authorised NHS research staff will download it to a restricted NHS Wales network storage location. 
  • Access is controlled through NHS Wales accounts, Microsoft Entra ID and multi-factor authentication, and limited to authorized research team members.
  • GoodSam and NHS Wales systems maintain access controls and audit logs. The EMRTS research team will undertake additional audits during the study. 
  • After consent has been received, approved files may be transferred to authorised University of Warwick researchers using the NHS Wales Secure File Sharing Portal. 

How long we keep the information

Once the video recording has been analysed, the identifiable video will be deleted. Anonymised transcripts will then be used for analysis. 

  • If you refuse consent, the recording will be deleted. 
  • If no consent is obtained, the recording will not be used for research and will be deleted at the end of the study. 

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing - You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us at Amb.records@wales.nhs.uk, or 0300 123 2310 if you wish to make a request.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can contact the Data Protection Officer, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, Ty Elwy, Richard Davies Road, St Asaph, Denbighshire, LL17 0LJ, or email: amb_infogovernance@wales.nhs.uk

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:           

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Please also see our Patient Privacy Notice, and Your Information Your Rights for more information.