National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Privacy notice

We will handle your data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The survey findings are anonymised and nothing we publish will identify you.

Do I have to take part?

Taking part in NDNS is completely voluntary. You have the right to stop being part of the survey at any time without giving a reason

Your information: how will we store, look after and use it

Some of the data that we collect from you for NDNS contains information that can be used to identify you. This type of information is called identifiable information and includes things like your name or date of birth. We also collect some special category data such as ethnicity.

The data controller for NDNS is the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The lawful basis for collecting this data is the performance of a task carried out in the public interest backed up by consent for collection and storage of your urine or blood samples or data linkage according to what you decide for your participation.

Where is my identifiable data stored?

All identifiable information will be stored securely. No identifiable data, such as your name or contact details, will be stored in any archived data or publications nor will they be transferred outside the European Economic Area.

How will you use my data?

NatCen collects the data and is the data processor for NDNS. Other organisations supporting NDNS (such as laboratories that analyse your blood or urine samples, or external printer) are: MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s research laboratories, Southampton University Hospital, UK Geographics, Formara, Love2Shop and Spotler. 

Data sharing agreements are in place with all these organisations and they will handle your data (including identifiable information) in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

Personal identifiable information will only be shared with any organisations who need to know for the running of the survey e.g. NatCen and MRC Epidemiology Unit research teams. Only certain members of the research team and fieldworkers who speak to you on the telephone or visit you at home will have access to your identifiable information.

We ask for your contact information (email addresses and/or mobile telephone numbers) so that we can send communications about taking part in the survey and for sending thank you vouchers. 

The other information collected from you, including any urine and/or blood samples, will be used for research and statistical purposes only.

We will handle all your data (including identifiable and special category information) in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Everyone involved in NDNS will keep your data safe and secure.

How will my information be used in research? 

Your answers and other information collected from you will be combined with the information collected from other people who take part in NDNS.

We will make sure that your information is anonymised which means that your identifiable information is removed before use, and no-one can identify you from the information in any published datasets or in the reports we write. The anonymised survey findings will be published in reports on the GOV.UK website. The anonymised survey data is also put on the UK Data Service for researchers to use.

Who will use the research data?

Government

Government uses results from the survey to make decisions that improve public health and protect food safety. Results from the survey have led to public health campaigns such as Change4Life which encourages people to “Eat well, move more and live longer”.

Academics

Once results from the survey have been published by government, academics can study these results for their own research purposes. Academics have looked at a number of interesting diet and nutrition issues, including associations between parental employment and children’s eating habits.

How long will you keep my data?

NDNS looks at trends over time, and therefore we need to keep the answers and information collected about people’s diet and nutritional status permanently. Once the data we have collected from you has been processed and finalised, and combined with that of others, it cannot be deleted. This is because your data may already form part of the data in publications.

If you give consent, your blood or urine samples taken as part of this study will be stored for a minimum of 10 years for use in future research studies. Access to these samples will only be granted to studies with the appropriate ethical approvals in place. If you do not give consent for your samples to be stored, they will be kept only until the NDNS reports are published.

You can request that your identifiable data is deleted at any time. To do this, please get in touch with NatCen using the contact details provided.

Linking your data

If you are aged 16 or older, at some point during your participation we will ask you if you agree to us passing on your name, address and date of birth to different governing bodies in order to provide us with a fuller picture of your health. Your data can only be shared and linked if you agree. You can read more about linking data here.

Future studies

In the future, we may want to contact you to invite you to take part in another study. We will only do this if you agree. If you are invited to take part in any future studies, you will be free to refuse if you do not want to take part.

Who can I contact?

If you have any queries about how your data is handled, please get in touch:

Data Protection Officers are responsible for upholding your rights and making sure we process your information correctly.

The contact details for the DHSC Data Protection Officer:

Data Protection Officer
Department of Health and Social Care
1st Floor North
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU
data_protection@dhsc.gov.uk

Personal information charter - Department of Health and Social Care - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you have any queries, or want to request that we change or delete your information, contact NatCen at:

NDNS Research Director: Beverley Bates,
National Centre for Social Research,
Unit 15 Ashton Gate, Ashton Road,
Romford, Essex, RM3 8UF

Survey Enquiry Team: 0800 652 4572

Email: ndns@natcen.ac.uk