The National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS) launched a new electronic referral and patient management system in January 2024. Help Me Quit will also join NERS on this system in 2024.
The new web-based system, called the Theseus portal, replaced the outdated NERS database and will manage patients in a single system from the point of referral all the way through to completing and exiting NERS.
The purpose of this notice is to inform you of why and how Public Health Wales (PHW) will process your personal data when you take part in the National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS).
NERS is a chronic condition prevention and management programme which aims to improve the health and well-being of sedentary and inactive adults who are at risk of developing a chronic condition or who have an existing chronic condition.
It provides a 16-week programme of physical activity to individuals referred by NHS registered health professionals, using behaviour change techniques, to embed positive physical activity habits.
Patients who are referred to NERS, and who are eligible to take part, are invited to their local leisure centre for an initial assessment with a qualified exercise referral professional. They are offered a tailored, supervised exercise programme for up to 16 weeks, and their progress is reviewed at key points.
The NERS Programme is overseen by PHW and delivered locally by a local NERS team based in one of the following, depending on the area: Local Authorities, Leisure Trusts or Health Boards. The referral and programme participation data for each patient taking part are collected and held within the NERS Theseus referral and patient administration system. Theseus is developed, maintained and hosted by Cyber Media Solutions Ltd on behalf of PHW.
The local NERS teams will use your personal data to provide the service that you have signed up to. PHW will also process your personal data to evaluate the scheme and to support service improvements. Your personal data will be held for a maximum of 8 years and after this period your data will be anonymised. Anonymised data will also be submitted twice a year to the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank (SAIL Databank) system to be used for research and evaluation purposes.
Further details about SAIL can be found here: Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank (SAIL Databank) - Population Data Science (swan.ac.uk)
For a copy of the PHW Privacy Notice please access the following: