Anonymising an assessment is the removal of identifiers that name the subject. Mental health records are special-category under UK GDPR Art. 9. anonym.plus runs on your own device, so the scores stay while the person is hidden.
When this applies
A clinic wants to pool test scores for a norm study. Each report names the subject, a parent, and a school, which must come out first.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the report in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR reads scanned answer sheets too.
- It flags subject and parent names, dates, and the school.
- Review each flag and keep the score tables.
- Replace each value with a label, or redact it.
- Save the result. The first copy stays on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The report (PDF, DOCX, TXT, or scan).
- An operator: Replace, Redact, or Mask.
- Optional: a key map for re-linking.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | PERSON | Anya Kowalski → [SUBJECT_1] |
| Parent | PERSON | mother Petra → [FAMILY_1] |
| School | ORGANIZATION | Greenfield Academy → [SCHOOL] |
| Test date | DATE_TIME | Tested 12/05/2026 → [DATE] |
| Record ID | ID | Case 8842 → [CASE_ID] |
| NHS number | NHS_NUMBER | NHS 223 445 6671 → [NHS_NO] |
Compliance achieved
- Removes special-category identifiers under UK GDPR Art. 9.
- Once anonymised, the file falls outside UK GDPR under Recital 26.
- Runs offline, so no cross-border transfer occurs.
- Working files are sealed with AES-256-GCM.
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Limitations & cautions
The law sets a high bar for true anonymisation. The tool removes named identifiers. You still confirm that a rare score pattern cannot single out one subject when combined with other records.
Frequently asked questions
When does a file leave UK GDPR scope?
When it can no longer be linked to a person by any means likely to be used. Recital 26 sets that test. The ICO Anonymisation Code adds the motivated-intruder test. Removing identifiers is the key step toward it.
Are parents and schools removed?
Yes. A named parent or school is an identifier. The tool flags each so the subject cannot be traced through family or institution.
Does anything cross a border?
No. The app runs locally, so no transfer to a third country takes place.