We need to collect, store and use some of your personal information as part of breast screening.
This includes your:
- name
- address and eircode
- phone number
- date of birth
- PPS number
- surname at birth
- mother's maiden name
- breast screening history
Your breast screening history can include:
- your breast screening results
- your breast clinic attendance
- treatments you have had
We only collect, store and use information, results and records taken as part of the national breast screening programme - BreastCheck.
BreastCheck is run by the HSE’s National Screening Service (NSS). NSS is the data controller for your personal information.
Where we get your information
We put together a list of people eligible for the national breast screening programme - BreastCheck.
We get these details from:
- the Department of Social Protection
- you when you register for breast screening by phone or online
The law that allows us to collect and use your name, address and date of birth for the national breast screening programme is the Health (Provision of Information) Act, 1997.
Check, update or join the breast screening register
How we use your information
We use your personal information to do your breast screening mammogram and contact you.
We'll contact you:
- when your next breast screening mammogram is due
- to send your results to you
- to invite you for follow-up tests if you need them
- to invite you to take part in a survey about your experience
We may also share your information with other health services such as:
- your GP
- the National Cancer Registry Ireland
- the hospital clinic where you get treatment, if needed
- the histology lab that does your biopsy, if needed
We share your information to:
- make sure you get the right treatment
- make sure there is an accurate record of your breast screening history
- see if breast screening reduces the number of people who get breast cancer or who die from breast cancer
Other ways we use your information
We may use your information to help us:
- measure quality standards
- improve the quality of our breast screening programme
- meet our obligations as a public health service
We may use your information to contact you and ask you to:
- share your experience with us
- take part in research
You can choose to take part or not. We will not use your personal information as part of research without consent.
We may use your mammogram images as part of our quality assurance checks and audits.
This is to help improve our screening programme. But we will never publish your name.
We use your personal information if you request a review.
How long we hold your information for
We hold your:
- personal information while you take part in the breast screening programme and for 8 years afterwards
- mammogram images for 8 years from when you had your breast screening mammogram
This is in line with the HSE record retention policy.
Your data protection rights
We will keep your personal information safe and confidential. This is in line with data protection laws and your legal rights.
You can request:
- access to your breast screening records
- that inaccurate or incomplete information is corrected or updated
- that we do not use or process your personal information
- that we delete your personal information
- to receive your personal information as a digital file
You can lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission at any time.
Your rights are not absolute. This means there may be situations where a request cannot be granted.
Contact us about your data protection rights
Contact the NSS Information Governance Office to:
- discuss your rights
- ask that your information is erased
- access your records
Email: dataprotection@screeningservice.ie
If you are not happy with our response to your rights request, you can make a complaint to the Data Protection Commission.