My Care Bubble Data Sharing Policy

Welcome to My Care Bubble (MCB). To use our platform, we ask you to read and agree to this Data Sharing Policy. By ticking the agreement box when you sign up, you confirm that you understand how your information will be used and shared within MCB.

1. What is My Care Bubble?

My Care Bubble is a secure online platform that helps people and organisations involved in health and social care share information safely. It allows:

Sharing of care-related information (such as notes, assessments, discharge details and other records, depending on system features)
Secure instant messaging
Discussions in a forum style for collaboration and support

2. What Information is Shared?

Depending on how you use MCB, we may process:

Your name, contact details and role
Care information, such as health and social care notes
Messages and posts you share in forums and instant messages
System information, like login details and audit logs (to keep the platform secure)

Some of this is special category data (e.g., health information) which is protected under law.

3. Why Do We Share Information?

Your information is shared to:

Support care and support planning
Help with hospital discharges and coordination of care
Allow professionals, carers, and families to work together
Meet safeguarding duties where someone is at risk
Monitor quality and improve services

4. Who Can See My Information?

Only authorised users, such as care professionals and organisations involved in your care, can access relevant information.
Access is role-based and strictly controlled.
Forums and instant messaging are private to those you choose to engage with, but may be accessed if needed for safeguarding or investigation.

5. Legal Basis for Sharing

We share information in line with UK data protection law (UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018). The main legal reasons are:

To provide health and social care services
To protect vital interests in an emergency
To meet legal obligations (e.g., safeguarding)
Sometimes, with your consent when appropriate

6. How We Keep Your Information Safe

All information is encrypted in storage and when sent.
Access is controlled by secure logins.
All activity is logged and monitored.
Information is only shared where necessary and proportionate.

7. How Long Do We Keep Information?

Care records are usually kept for at least 8 years (or longer for children’s or safeguarding records, depending on the law).
Forum posts and messages are kept in line with the care record they relate to.
Audit logs are normally kept for 1–3 years.

8. Your Rights

You have rights over your information, including:

To access the information we hold about you
To request corrections if it is wrong
To ask for limits on how it is used
To raise concerns or complaints

You can exercise your rights by contacting your care provider or organisation using MCB. You can also contact MCB support if unsure.

9. Safeguarding

Sometimes, information may need to be shared without your consent if there is a risk of harm to you or others. This will only happen where the law allows it, and the sharing will be recorded.

10. International Transfers

We aim to keep your data in the UK. If data must be transferred outside the UK, we use legally approved safeguards.

11. Who is Responsible?

Care organisations and professionals are responsible for the information they enter and use in MCB.
My Care Bubble Limited is responsible for securely hosting and operating the platform.

12. Questions or Complaints

Speak to your care organisation or provider about how they use your information.
You can also contact My Care Bubble Limited for platform-related queries.
If you are unhappy, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.

13. Agreement

By ticking the box, you confirm that you:

Have read and understood this Data Sharing Policy
Agree to the way information is shared and used in MCB
Understand your rights under data protection law

Effective Date: Date you tick the agreement box on sign up