Counselling-note redaction is the removal of patient IDs from a pharmacist's counselling write-up. It meets DPA 2018 and the NHS Code of Confidentiality. anonym.plus runs locally and keeps the advice and the adherence plan.
When this applies
A counselling write-up quotes the patient and may name family or work. For a teaching set, you clear those IDs but keep the advice and the plan.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the note in anonym.plus on your device.
- It scans the text, with care for quoted patient lines.
- Names, places, and contacts get flagged in the entry.
- Confirm the flags; the medicines and advice stay as non-IDs.
- Swap them so the note still reads clearly for teaching.
- Save the clean copy; the source stays on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The note (TXT, DOCX, PDF, or pasted text).
- An operator (Replace for readable teaching copies).
- Optional allow-list for standard advice terms.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | 'I am Dina' → [PATIENT] |
| Relatives | PERSON | son Karl → [RELATIVE] |
| Location | LOCATION | works at Boots → [EMPLOYER] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | seen 06/04 → [DATE] |
| Record IDs | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | chart 7741 → [MRN] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | d.k@example.com → [EMAIL] |
Compliance achieved
- Meets DPA 2018 & NHS Code of Confidentiality for reuse.
- Catches employer and relative clues as indirect identifiers.
- Offline work keeps the note inside your pharmacy.
Anonymise counselling notes offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
Quoted patient lines hold the most risk. People name jobs, hobbies, and family in ways that can re-identify with no direct name. Review such lines closely; the tool catches named items but cannot always judge a unique life detail.
Frequently asked questions
Why do quoted lines need extra care?
They record the patient's own words. These often hold names, employers, and unique clues that act as indirect identifiers beyond the obvious ones.
Are the medicines and advice kept?
Yes. Drug names and the advice stay. Only the personal identifiers in the note are removed.
Can I paste a note from the system?
Yes. Paste text straight in or load a file. Both run locally with no upload.