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When you think about your local hospital, your mind probably jumps to doctors, nurses, busy wards and life-saving treatments, rather than spreadsheets, data systems or information security. Yet behind the scenes at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL), data is helping us improve patient care, enhance safety and deliver better outcomes for our communities.
To help explain how patient information is used, three digital and data leaders at WWL - Dr Martin Farrier, Chief Clinical Information Officer; Richard Mundon, Deputy Chief Executive and Senior Information Risk Owner; and Ged English-Gallantry, Data Protection Officer - help ensure innovation, clinical safety and data protection are always considered side by side.
Each role provides a different layer of assurance. The Chief Clinical Information Officer helps make sure digital tools support safe and effective patient care. The Senior Information Risk Owner oversees information risks across the Trust and ensures they are managed appropriately. The Data Protection Officer helps ensure personal information is used lawfully, fairly and transparently while protecting patients’ rights.
Using data is not about replacing face-to-face care. It is about helping clinicians make informed decisions and giving them the best possible understanding of a patient’s needs. Every patient story matters, and by examining thousands of patient journeys, appointments and treatments, we can identify wider patterns that may otherwise go unnoticed.
These insights help us understand where patients may be waiting too long, where outcomes vary, or where services could be improved. By analysing trends across our population, healthcare professionals can identify risks earlier, reduce health inequalities and develop better approaches to care.
Handling sensitive medical information comes with enormous responsibility. Patients trust us with some of the most personal details of their lives, and that trust is at the heart of everything we do. People rightly expect us to protect their information and learn from it whenever doing so can improve care. Protecting patient data is not the responsibility of just one team. Everyone working at WWL has a role to play in handling information safely and appropriately.
All staff complete mandatory training to ensure they understand their responsibilities, recognise risks and know how to report concerns. When new systems or technologies are introduced, assessments are carried out to ensure safeguards are in place before they are used.
When information needs to be shared with another healthcare organisation or trusted partner, there must be a clear and lawful reason. We only share the minimum information necessary and use secure methods to transfer and store data. Wherever possible, information is anonymised so individuals cannot be identified unless there is a genuine need.
Busting Common Data Myths
Myth 1: People are looking through my private medical records. Reality: Absolutely not. Strict controls ensure records are only accessed when there is a legitimate reason. Research projects use anonymised data or robust safeguards.
Myth 2: Innovation means taking risks with patient privacy. Reality: Innovation and privacy protection go hand in hand. New digital tools are carefully assessed and tested to meet high standards of safety and security.
Myth 3: Technology will replace doctors and nurses. Reality: Technology supports healthcare professionals rather than replacing them. Clinical expertise, compassion and human judgement remain at the centre of everything we do.
Ultimately, our digital progress is not about technology for technology’s sake. It is about helping us deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right way.