Form redaction is the removal of personal data from the registration a patient fills in online before a consultation. DPA 2018 and the NHS Code of Confidentiality govern reuse. anonym.plus swaps the identifiers on your device and keeps the clinical answers for analysis.
When this applies
A web registration captures demographics, insurance, and contacts in fixed fields. To study these submissions for flow improvement, the personal entries must go.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the submission in anonym.plus on your device.
- It finds demographic, insurance, and contact fields.
- Clinical answers and consent flags stay in place.
- Swap or black out the confirmed personal entries.
- Save the clean submission on your device.
What you need to provide
- The submission (PDF, DOCX, CSV, or JSON).
- An operator: Redact for slim copies, Replace to keep flow.
- Optional field map for your form’s layout.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | full name field → [PATIENT] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | contact email → [EMAIL] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | mobile field +44 → [PHONE] |
| Identifiers | NATIONAL_ID | NHS number → [NHS_NUMBER] |
| Location | LOCATION | home address → [ADDRESS] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | date of birth → [DOB] |
Compliance achieved
- Meets DPA 2018 & NHS Code of Confidentiality for reuse.
- Catches next-of-kin contacts as well as patient fields.
- Offline work keeps a fresh submission inside your organisation.
Anonymise digital registration forms offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
Online forms use custom layouts, so map your fields first or one may slip by. A free-text ‘reason for visit’ box can hide a name or a place, so review that box as you would any note.
Frequently asked questions
Are next-of-kin contact details removed?
Yes. A relative’s name or number on the form is personal data when tied to the patient, so it is flagged and swapped.
Can I keep the consent checkboxes?
Yes. Non-identifier answers and consent flags can stay while personal entries go, via an allow-list.
Does it read both PDF and structured submissions?
Yes. Printed PDFs and CSV or JSON exports of the form both work locally.