Confidentiality

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Freedom of Information

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt by 1st January 2009.

Model Publication Scheme - further information

Comments & Complaints

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working at the practice, please let us know.

We operate a practice complaints procedure, which meets national criteria, as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Complaints should be addressed to Mr Colin Townsend, Practice Manager or any of the doctors.

Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Mr Townsend in order to discuss your concerns. He will explain the complaints procedure to you and ensure that your complaint is dealt with promptly.

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

Summary Care Record

Summary Care Records are being introduced in England over the next few years as part of the NHS Care Records Service and these will be available for healthcare professionals to access the most up-to-date information wherever in the country you need care. 

All patients will have a Summary Care Record created which contains information from your care record (current prescriptions, allergies, reactions to treatment) and any other information that you have agreed should be included. 

You can decide not to have a Summary Care Record at all and if so you will need to complete an Opt Out Form which is available from Reception. 

Further information and advice is available from the Patient Advice & Liaison Service (0800 587 9159) or the NHS Care Records Service Information Line (0845 603 8510) or ask for a leaflet at Reception.

What Your Doctor And The Staff Should Reasonably Expect From You, The Patient

• To be treated with the same courtesy and respect you yourself would expect
• Honesty and openness
• Not to expect a prescription every time you see your doctor - they are quite often unnecessary
• To follow the advice given
• To switch off mobile telephones when in the surgery
• To remember that it is not the receptionists’ fault if a doctor or nurse runs late
• To ensure that any of the facilities are not abused

What You Should Reasonably Expect From The Doctors And Staff

• To be treated as an individual and given courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious belief, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems
• Staff to be easily identifiable
• Staff to maintain your right to privacy
• Appointments to be available at reception two weeks in advance for you to book follow-up times
• To have the right to a full explanation of your illness and any tests, investigations or conclusions relating to that condition. You must tell us if you do not understand the explanation

The practice operates a “zero tolerance” approach to both verbal abuse and violence. Any act of this nature will result in the immediate removal from our list. Where there is a serious breakdown of the patient/doctor relationship, we reserve the right to remove patients from our list.