Data protection information for people who are taking part in ASCEND PLUS

If you are an ASCEND PLUS participant, the study team will send information about you to other organisations so they can:

• send you letters and emails relating to the study
• post your study medication to you.

These organisations will not be able to use your data for any other purpose and will ensure that your data are protected.

‘De-personalised’ data about you (i.e. data from which identifying information about you, such as your name, has been removed may be shared with):

• healthcare regulators, so they can check the study results;
• other researchers, so they can find out more about diabetes, and other important health conditions;
• Novo Nordisk (the pharmaceutical company producing semaglutide tablets) so they can find out more about the treatment and other treatments for diabetes and other health conditions.

Which  organisations receive data about ASCEND PLUS study participants? 

The list below shows what data each organisation has, why they have been sent the data, and the safeguards in place to protect participants’ privacy.

Organisations which have received data which directly identifies ASCEND PLUS participants

Organisation: Atos     

PURPOSE                       

Atos provides computer systems and support for Paragon. These systems are used to mail the letters to ASCEND PLUS participants.

DATA SHARED                  

Title, name, address, postcode, date of birth of ASCEND PLUS participants.

SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO PROTECT PRIVACY

NHS England provides a toolkit to help organisations assess their performance against the National Data Guardian’s ten data security standards and Atos (organisation code 8HL41) has completed this toolkit. A legal contract between Paragon and Atos sets out strict rules about what Atos can do with the data, and has clear restrictions on what is not allowed.

BENEFITS/RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

To enable letters to be securely sent to ASCEND PLUS participants and their doctors.

Organisation: Paragon      

PURPOSE                        

To mail letters to ASCEND PLUS participants and their GPs.

DATA SHARED                   

Title, name, address, postcode, date of birth of ASCEND PLUS participants.

SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO PROTECT PRIVACY

The ASCEND PLUS team send data securely to Paragon using encryption, so the data can only be read with a code. NHS England provides a toolkit to help organisations assess their performance against the National Data Guardian’s ten data security standards and Paragon (organisation code 8JE86) has completed this toolkit. A legal contract has been signed between the University of Oxford and Paragon. This sets out strict rules about what Paragon can do with the data, and has clear restrictions on what is not allowed.

BENEFITS/RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

To enable letters to be securely sent to ASCEND PLUS participants and their doctors.

Organisation: PCI Pharma Services       

PURPOSE         

To mail packs of study treatment to ASCEND PLUS participants.  

DATA SHARED    

Title, name, address, post-code of ASCEND PLUS participants.

SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO PROTECT PRIVACY

The ASCEND PLUS team share data securely to PCI Pharma Services . PCI Pharma Services have robust systems to protect personal data they hold. A legal contract has been signed between the University of Oxford and PCI Pharma Services. This sets out strict rules about what PCI Pharma Services can do with the data, and has clear restrictions on what is not allowed.

BENEFITS/RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

To enable study treatment to be securely sent to ASCEND PLUS participants.

Organisation: Royal Mail         

PURPOSE            

To deliver packs of study treatment to ASCEND PLUS participants            

DATA SHARED  

Title, name, address, post-code of ASCEND PLUS participants

SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO PROTECT PRIVACY

Royal Mail has robust systems to protect personal data they hold. Royal Mail privacy notice sets out strict rules about what they can do with the data, and has clear restrictions on what is not allowed.

BENEFITS/RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

To enable study treatment to be securely sent to ASCEND PLUS participants.

Organisations which have received ‘De-personalised’ data (with identifying information removed) about ASCEND PLUS participants

None