Frequently Asked Questions

*SurgeryName*: You may be eligible for a free flu vaccination. Flu season is here & it’s more important than ever that you get vaccinated. Flu and its complications can be serious for those with certain underlying conditions and could make these conditions worse. To discuss further, call *TelephoneNo* Also, our free chatbot , Sam, is here to help you better understand the risks associated with flu. Seqirus UK Ltd has sponsored this initiative. Your personal data has not been shared.

1. The purpose of the data sharing is to enable the sending of text messages and myGP app push notifications to the following at-risk patients who are eligible for free flu vaccine:

• Adults 65 years and older
• pregnant woman 18 years and older
• patients with chronic illnesses who are 18 years and older.

The purpose of the message is to remind them they are eligible for free flu vaccine, and to invite them to visit a third-party chatbot site, that offers information about flu and flu vaccination and directs them to their GP practice for further questions.

2. Data will be retrieved via a secure connection to each practice’s clinical system.

No – the message wording is consistent for all and no changes will be possible.

If there are any issues or queries, you may email us at hub@iplato.com or call 020 3743 0060 and ask for the Hub Project Delivery team.

There is absolutely no charge for the service as this is a fully funded project. The practice does not incur any charge for text messaging or set up.

This service does not affect any of your current messaging services and runs independently to this.

The messages will be targeted to patients who are eligible for free flu vaccination and at greatest risk of complications from flu, specifically those who have consented to receive SMS or myGP app notifications and are:

This SMS/Chatbot service has been developed and sponsored by Seqirus UK Ltd and funded for participating practices within Southend CCG.

After the practice signs the consent form, iPLATO will be in touch regarding next steps. Some practices will require further set up, which takes roughly 5 minutes over the phone. Any other requirements will be clarified then.

Yes, installation is completed remotely. This will only apply to practices who do not have existing iPLATO services.

To fill out the consent form please visit:
https://consent.mygp.com/southend-ccg-flu-chatbot-pilot-project/

Yes, Although given the duration of this pilot, once you’ve submitted your data, we will contact the target patients as noted in the agreement.

As there is no “accreditation” of GDPR compliance, we can only advise that we have worked with our legal specialists, Data Protection Officer, and NHS England to ensure that iPLATO Healthcare are 100% GDPR compliant in line with legislation.

iPLATO meets all requirements for Data Protection and DS&P (Information Governance) and is trusted by customers across the UK to handle, securely 21.5 million clients.

Please see below the Data Sharing Agreements, Data Processing Agreement and Terms in place:

https://www.pcm.nhs.uk/pcm_tc.php

https://www.iplato.com/dpa.pdf

It is not necessary to collect express consent from clients to communicate with them. GDPR does not regulate communication with clients, instead it is about the legal basis to process an individual’s data and their rights. In the healthcare space, providers use their “public task” legal basis to process client data for the provision of healthcare. clients can then express their preferences not to be communicated via particular means and this is normally common practice in surgeries.

For more on how GDPR affects client messaging in the healthcare industry: https://mailchi.mp/8dda68c0a4ac/countdown-to-gdpr-4-things-you-need-to-know