Priority Services – SPI

Changes to how we hold Priority Services data and how we add new Customers to our Priority Service Register

Just so you know, we’re changing the way we record people’s details on the Priority Services Register, so we can help even more customers in the future.

At present, people registering for Priority Services are asked to give explicit consent, meaning we can capture and hold personal sensitive data. This is often done by reading a long script or getting a signature, understandably a difficult process for those with a disability or chronic illness.

So instead, from 8th February 2021 we’ll register customers under ‘substantial public interest’. This will allow third parties like relatives, carers and charities to add someone on an individual’s behalf. We will continue to take direct registrations and write to customers welcoming them to Priority Services. Customers still have the opportunity to be removed from the register, but we’ll first review their request to make sure it’s in their best interests.

As an existing Priority Services Customer there is nothing you need to do. This change is unlikely to affect you, but we had to inform you as it is a legal change to the basis on which we capture and use data.

For more information on how we process data please see our Privacy Notice which can be found here.