Practice Policies & Patient Information
Chaperone Policy
At Hughenden Valley and Chequers Surgeries we are committed to providing a safe and comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times.
The safety of everyone is of paramount importance.
For your peace of mind, all of our staff have undergone formal chaperone training and assessment.
If you would like a chaperone present during your consultation, please advise the receptionist when booking your appointment or when checking in or you can ask the person you are seeing when you are in your appointment.
Chaperone & Intimate Examination Policy
We follow the GMC guidance regarding intimate examinations:
‘Intimate examinations can be embarrassing or distressing for patients and whenever a patient is examined, the healthcare professional should be sensitive to what they may think of as intimate.
This is likely to include examinations of breasts, genitalia and rectum, but could also include any examination where it is necessary to touch or even be close to the patient.
In this guidance, the General Medical Council highlights some of the issues involved in carrying out intimate examinations.
This must not deter the healthcare professional from carrying out intimate examinations when necessary.
The healthcare professional must follow this guidance and make detailed and accurate records at the time of the examination, or as soon as possible afterwards.’
Before conducting an intimate examination, we will:
a. explain why an examination is necessary and give you an opportunity to ask questions
b. explain what the examination will involve, in a way you can understand, so you have a clear idea of what to expect, including any discomfort
c. get your permission before the examination
d. offer you a chaperone (see below)
e. give you privacy to undress and dress
During the examination, we will
a. explain what is being done and why
b. stop the examination if you asks us to
We follow the GMC guideance regarding chaperones:
‘When an intimate examination is carried out, an impartial observer(a chaperone) will be offered to the patient wherever possible either verbally or displayed in writing.
This will be the case whether or not your healthcare professional is the same gender as you.
A relative or friend of the patient is not an impartial observer and so would not usually be a suitable chaperone, but the healthcare professional will comply
with a reasonable request to have such a person present as well as a chaperone if that is what you want.’
The chaperone will be a member of the team who is fully trained to be a chaperone and who will:
a. be sensitive and respect your dignity and confidentiality
b. reassure you if you show signs of worry, distress or discomfort
c. be familiar with the procedures involved in a routine intimate examination
d. stay for the whole examination and be able to see what the doctor is doing, if practical
e. be prepared to raise concerns if they are concerned about the healthcare professional’s behaviour or actions.
This Chaperone & Intimate Examination Policy is a reflection of the Professional Guidance from the General Medical Council, full details of which can be found here.
and also adheres to the ‘National Clinical Governance Support Team (UK) ‘Guidance On The Role And Effective Use Of Chaperones In Primary And Community Care Settings Model Chaperone Framework”, which can be found here.
A copy of this Practice Chaperone & Intimate Examination Policy is available in the form of information leaflets in both practices.
Complaints and Compliments
Making a complaint is never easy but before you do please make sure that you have a valid reason (please think what is deliverable from the surgery and while we like to treat all patients as individuals sometimes a process needs to be in place so all patients can access our services based on a clinical need) to complain and that you’re someone with a right to complain.
If you’re complaining on behalf of someone else, you’ll usually have to include their written permission. If they can’t give permission, for example, because they are too ill, explain this in your details.
Keep your complaint to the point and as short as possible.
Try to work together with Hughenden Valley Surgeries as far as possible to sort out the problem.
List clearly the things you’re complaining about. Write them down in date order, with as many factual details that you can. For example, if you are complaining about the behaviour of your GP at an appointment, write down:
- the date and place of the appointment
- the name of the GP
- the names of anyone else who witnessed the unacceptable behaviour.
Back up everything that you write – keep any documents you get.
Write the complaint in an unemotional way. Don’t make personal attacks on the staff you are complaining about – stick to complaining about the aspects of their behaviour that are unacceptable.
State the outcome you’re hoping for. This could be just an apology and an undertaking to behave differently in the future.
receiving a complaint is never easy for us as this would suggest that someone is unhappy with the service that they have received but we do use complaints to help us see what we could improve.
To raise a complaint please write directly to our practice manager.
Zero Tolerance Policy
- Purpose
To outline the principles and procedures of Hughenden Valley Surgeries’ zero tolerance approach.
- Policy Statement
As an employer, Hughenden Valley Surgeries has a duty of care for the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff. Hughenden Valley Surgeries also has a legal responsibility to provide a safe and secure working environment for staff. Staff mental health is as important as their physical health and all patients are expected to behave in an acceptable, respectful manner. Staff should not be left upset and distressed following an interaction with a patient. Any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work, is unacceptable and not tolerated. Hughenden Valley Surgeries follows the NHS guidance concerning zero tolerance.
- Principles
- Any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work, is unacceptable and not tolerated.
- This includes the serious or persistent use of verbal abuse, aggressive tone and/or language and swearing/foul language
- All instances of actual physical abuse or threatening behaviour on any member of staff, by a patient or their representative, will be reported to the police as an assault.
- We expect all patients to be responsible and avoid attending the surgery under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
The General Medical Council states in Good Medical Practice that: “in rare circumstances, the trust between you (the Practice) and a patient may break down and you may find it necessary to end the professional relationship. For example this may occur if a patient has been violent to you or a colleague, has stolen from the premises, or has persistently acted inconsiderately or unreasonably.
This includes unnecessary persistent or unrealistic service demands that cause disruption. Examples of this include, but are not limited to:
- Demanding to only speak to a specific team member
- Refusing appointments with an appropriate clinician for the presenting care need i.e. insisting on a GP appointment when a pharmacist or other clinician is most appropriate, or refusing to see an available GP for your presenting care need when your preferred GP is unavailable.
- Demanding a same day appointment for a routine clinical need – this deprives access to urgent care services for those who genuinely need it.
- Contacting individuals directly via social media or personal email instead of through the practice contact channels.
The Practice has a finite number of available appointments and you may be directed to clinician who is not a GP, or your preferred GP, but who is appropriately qualified to manage the presenting care need. We provide a named GP service but we cannot always accommodate requests for appointments with the same GP due to high patient demand for appointments and staff working patterns.
If you are seriously unhappy with the quality of service you have the right to register with another practice without notifying us. Similarly, on the very rare occasions when a patient breaches this policy, we have the right to remove the patient from our care.
- EXAMPLES OF UNNACCEPTABLE STANDARDS of behaviour
In exceptional circumstances, a breakdown may occur between a GP surgery and their patient. If the breakdown is of a serious nature e.g. serious physical or verbal abuse to any member of the practice team, it may be felt that the practice/patient relationship has been compromised. Steps may be taken to have the patient removed immediately from the practice patient list. Where possible, conciliation would always be the preferred route. Reasons for removal will be given in writing. Any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work, is unacceptable and not tolerated.
Where we deem an incident is not serious enough to warrant immediate removal, we will issue a first and final warning. This warning will be logged and recorded on your record for a period of 1 year.
YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM OUR PATIENT LIST IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE HAVE NEEDED POLICE ASSISTANCE OR HAVE MADE A REPORT TO THE POLICE.
The following are examples of when you may be issued with a first and final warning or removed from our patient list dependent on the severity of the incident.
- Violence
- Excessive noise e.g. recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting
- Threatening or abusive language involving swearing or offensive remarks
- Racial or sexual remarks
- Aggressive, forceful tone and/or language that upsets staff
- Malicious allegations relating to members of staff, other patients or visitors
- Offensive gestures or behaviours
- Abusing alcohol or drugs on practice premises
- Drug dealing on practice premises
- Willful damage to practice property
- Threats or threatening behaviour
- Theft
- Persistent and/or unrealistic demands on the service
- Repeated derogatory comments about the practice or individuals either verbally, in writing/digitally or on social media platforms
This list is not exhaustive an there may be other occasions when we have cause to issue a warning or remove you from our patient list. If you are unhappy with the practice, we have a complaints procedure to assist you or you have the choice to register with another practice.
Confidentiality
You can be assured that anything you discuss with any member of the surgery staff, whether doctor, nurse or receptionist, will remain confidential. Even if you are under 16, nothing will be said to anyone, including parents, other family members, care workers or teachers, without your permission. The only reason why we might want to consider passing on confidential information without your permission would be to protect either you or someone else from serious harm. In this situation, we would always try to discuss this with you first.
If you have any worries or queries about confidentiality, please ask a member of staff.
If you would like to discuss matters of a confidential nature, either with our receptionists or a member of the dispensary team, we have a side room available in reception for this purpose.
Continuity of Care
Usual GP
All patients have a named GP, you can check with the reception team who your named usual GP is. With a view to providing continuity of care, the Care navigation team will endeavour to offer an appointment with you named usual GP. We will also endeavour to offer you an appointment at the surgery that is closest to you. If an appointment is unavailable at your surgery of choice you may be offered an appointment at the other site, again we will endeavour to make this with your named usual GP.
Occasionally you may be requested by the doctor, nurse or receptionist to attend an appointment at the other surgery for example when specific services are located at one but not both sites, or in the event that appointment availability and demand do not match on the day.
Data Protection
In order to provide the right level of care, we are required to hold personal information about you on our computer systems and in paper records to help us to look after your health needs, and your doctor is responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping. Please help to keep your record up to date by informing us of any changes to your circumstances.
Confidentiality and Personal Information
Doctors and staff in the practice have access to your medical records to enable them to do their jobs. From time to time information may be shared with others involved in your care if it is necessary. Anyone with access to your record is properly trained in confidentiality issues and is governed by both legal and contractual duty to keep your details private.
All information about you is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental loss.
In some circumstances we may be required by law to release your details to statutory or other official bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public health issues. In other circumstance you may be required to give written consent before information is released – such as for medical reports for insurance, solicitors etc.
To ensure your privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone or fax unless we are sure that we are talking to you. Information will not be disclosed to family, friends or spouses unless we have prior written consent, and we do not, leave messages with others.
You have a right to see your records if you wish. Please ask at reception if you would like further details about our patient information leaflet. An appointment may be required. In some circumstances a fee may be payable.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Your Information
We take your privacy very seriously. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office as a Data Controller and our registration number is Z517161X.
Our Data Officer is the Practice Manager and may be contacted through the switchboard.
We aim to provide you with the highest quality health care. To do this we must keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you.
Your doctor and other health professionals caring for you, such as nurses and physiotherapists, keep records about your health treatment so that they are able to provide you with the best possible care. These records are called your ‘health care record’ and may be stored in paper form or on computer and electronic systems and mat include Personal Data:
- basic details about you, such as address, date of birth, NHS Number and next of kin
as we as Sensitive Personal Data:
- contact we have had with you, such as clinical visits
- notes and reports about your health
- details and records about your treatment and care
- results of x-rays, laboratory tests etc.
Healthcare providers are permitted to collect, store, use and share this information under Data Protection Legislation which has a specific section related to healthcare information.
What do we do with your information?
- Refer you to other healthcare providers when you need other services or tests
- Share samples with laboratories for testing (like blood samples)
- Share test results with hospitals or community services (like blood tests)
- allow out of hours Ps to look at your practice record when you go to an appointment
- Send prescriptions to a pharmacy
- Patients are texted in relation to healthcare service
- Samples are provided to the courier for delivery to pathology
- Share reports with the coroner
- Receive reports of appointments you have attended elsewhere such as with the community nurse or if your have had a stay in hospital
What else do we do with your information?
Along with these activities that allows us to provide health care to you, we use information in other ways which allow us to ensure that care is safe and to provide data for the improvement and planning of services.
- Quality / payment / performance reports are provided to service commissioners
- As part of clinical research – information that identifies you will be removed, unless you have consented to being identified
- Undertaking clinical audits with in the Practice
- Supporting staff training
Sharing when Required by Law
Sometimes we will be required to share your information and will not always be able to discuss this with you directly. Examples might be for the purposes of detection or prevention of crime, where it is in the wider public interest, to safeguard children or vulnerable adults or where required by court order.
Information Access and Rights
Data protection law provides you with a number of rights that the practice must support you with.
Care Quality Commission Access to Health Records
CQC has powers under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 to access and use your health information where it is necessary to carry out their functions as a regulator. This means that inspectors may ask to look at certain records to decide whether we are providing safe, good quality care. More information about the CQC can be obtained on their website https://cqc.org.uk/about-us/our-policies/privacy-statement
Right to Access
You have the right to obtain:
- confirmation that information is being used, stored or shared by the practice.
- a copy of information held about you
If you only require a particular part of your record, tell us and we will amend the charge accordingly.
We will respond to your request within one month of receipt or tell you when it might take longer.
We are required to validate your identity of someone making a request on your behalf
Right to Correction
If information about you is incorrect, you are entitled to request that we correct it but only if this is a genuine error such as data in a wrong record.
There may be occasions, where we are required by law to maintain the original information – our Data Protection Officer will talk to you about this and you may request that the information is now used during this time.
We will respond to your request within one month of receipt or tell you when it might take longer.
Complaints
You also have the right to make complaints and request investigations into the way your information is used. Please contact our Data Protection Officer or visit the link below for more information.
For more detailed information on your rights visit https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/
Case Finding
Sometimes your information will be used to identify whether you need particular support from us. Those involved in your care might look at particular indicators and contact you to take action for healthcare purposes such as preventing you from having to visit accident and emergency by supporting you in your own home or in the community.
We will automated technology to help us identify people that might required but ultimately, the decision about how to support you is made by those involved in your care.
Our practice uses Fed Bucks to support us to deliver some of our services such as providing appointments when our practice is closed or community services such as Improved Access (sometimes know as 8 to 8).
Our Data Protection Officer will be happy to speak to you about this if you have any concerns or objections.
Information Technology
The practice will use third parties to provide services that involve your information such as:
- Removal and destruction of confidential waste
- Provision of clinical systems
- Provision of connectively and servers
Data analytics or warehousing (these allow us to make decisions about care or see how effectively the practice is run – personal data will never be sold or made available to organisations not related to the to your care delivery)
We have contracts in place with these third parties that prevent them from using it in any other was than instructed. These contracts also require them to maintain good standards of security to ensure your confidentiality.
How do we Protect your Information?
We are committed to ensuring the security and confidentiality of your information. There are a number of ways in which we do this:
Staff receive annual training about protecting and using personal data
- Policies are in place for staff to follow and are regularly reviewed
- We check that only minimum amount of data is shared or accessed
- We use ‘smartcards’ to access systems, this helps ensure that the right people are accessing data – people with a ‘need to know’
- We use encrypted emails and storage which would make it difficult for someone to ‘intercept’ your information
- We report and manage incidents to make sure we learn from them and improve
- We put in place contracts that require providers and suppliers to protect your data as well
- We do not send your data outside of the EEA
GP Earnings
GP Net Earnings 2020/21
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings(e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs who worked for six months or more at Hughenden Valley Surgery in the last financial year was £57,416 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full-time GP’s and 8 part-time GP’s.
Named GP
Personal Data
The following IT systems are in use at the practice:
- Referral Management (using NHS numbers in referrals)
- Electronic Appointment Booking (the facility to book routine appointments online and, similarly, to cancel appointments
- Online booking of repeat prescriptions
- Summary Care Record (uploading details of your current medication and allergies to the national “spine” so that these are available for doctors involved in your care elsewhere)
- GP to GP transfers (the electronic transfer of records from practice to practice when you re-register
- Patient Access to records (the facility to view your medical records online).
If you are not already registered for online access and would like to be please complete our online form.
If you would like access to your medical records enabled or would like to opt out of the local or national summary care record, please contact reception.
Privacy Policy
This privacy notice lets you know what happens to any personal data that you give to us, or any that we may collect from or about you.
This privacy notice applies to personal information processed by or on behalf of the practice.
This Notice explains
- Who we are, how we use your information and our Data Protection Officer
- What kinds of personal information about you do we process?
- What are the legal grounds for our processing of your personal information (including when we share it with others)?
- What should you do if your personal information changes?
- For how long your personal information is retained by us?
- What are your rights under data protection laws?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was incorporated into the UK’s Data Protection Act on 25th May 2018. This is a single EU-wide regulation on the protection of confidential and sensitive information.
For the purpose of applicable data protection legislation (including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (the “GDPR”), and the Data Protection Act 2018 (currently in Bill format before Parliament) the practice responsible for your personal data.
This Notice describes how we collect, use and process your personal data, and how, in doing so, we comply with our legal obligations to you. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to protecting and safeguarding your data privacy rights
How we use your information and the law.
The practice will be what’s known as the ‘Controller’ of the personal data you provide to us.
We collect basic personal data about you which does not include any special types of information or location-based information. This does however include name, address, contact details such as email and mobile number etc.
We will also collect sensitive confidential data known as “special category personal data”, in the form of health information, religious belief (if required in a healthcare setting) ethnicity, and sex during the services we provide to you and or linked to your healthcare through other health providers or third parties.
Why do we need your information?
The health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. NHS Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, etc.). These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.
NHS health records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Records which the Practice hold about you may include the following information;
- Details about you, such as your address, carer, legal representative, emergency contact details
- Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency appointments, etc.
- Notes and reports about your health
- Details about your treatment and care
- Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays etc
- Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you
To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public and to help us manage the NHS. Information may be used within the GP practice for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided.
How do we lawfully use your data?
We need to know your personal, sensitive and confidential data in order to provide you with Healthcare services as a General Practice, under the General Data Protection Regulation we will be lawfully using your information in accordance with: –
Article 6, e) processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;”
Article 9, (h) processing is necessary for the purposes of preventive or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems
This Privacy Notice applies to the personal data of our patients and the data you have given us about your carers/family members.
Risk Stratification
Risk stratification data tools are increasingly being used in the NHS to help determine a person’s risk of suffering a condition, preventing an unplanned or (re)admission and identifying a need for preventive intervention. Information about you is collected from a number of sources including NHS Trusts and from this GP Practice. A risk score is then arrived at through an analysis of your de-identified information is only provided back to your GP as data controller in an identifiable form. Risk stratification enables your GP to focus on preventing ill health and not just the treatment of sickness. If necessary, your GP may be able to offer you additional services. Please note that you have the right to opt out of your data being used in this way.
Medicines Management
The Practice may conduct Medicines Management Reviews of medications prescribed to its patients. This service performs a review of prescribed medications to ensure patients receive the most appropriate, up to date and cost-effective treatments.
How do we maintain the confidentiality of your records?
We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The General Data Protection Regulations 2016
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
- Health and Social Care Act 2012
- NHS Codes of Confidentiality, Information Security and Records Management
- Information: To Share or Not to Share Review
Every member of staff who works for an NHS organisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.
We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and / or in accordance with the information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (Information to share or not to share) where “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.” This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott principles.
Our practice policy is to respect the privacy of our patients, their families and our staff and to maintain compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and all UK specific Data Protection Requirements. Our policy is to ensure all personal data related to our patients will be protected.
All employees and sub-contractors engaged by our practice are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. The practice will, if required, sign a separate confidentiality agreement if the client deems it necessary. If a sub-contractor acts as a data processor for the practice an appropriate contract (art 24-28) will be established for the processing of your information.
In certain circumstances you may have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of data. Please contact the Data Protection Officer in writing if you wish to withdraw your consent. If some circumstances we may need to store your data after your consent has been withdrawn to comply with a legislative requirement.
Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified. Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – the surgery will always gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose in an identifiable format. In some circumstances you can Opt-out of the surgery sharing any of your information for research purposes.
With your consent we would also like to use your information to
We would however like to use your name, contact details and email address to inform you of services that may benefit you, with your consent only. There may be occasions were authorised research facilities would like you to take part on innovations, research, improving services or identifying trends.
At any stage where we would like to use your data for anything other than the specified purposes and where there is no lawful requirement for us to share or process your data, we will ensure that you have the ability to consent and opt out prior to any data processing taking place. This information is not shared with third parties or used for any marketing and you can unsubscribe at any time via phone, email or by informing the practice DPO as below.
Where do we store your information Electronically?
All the personal data we process is processed by our staff in the UK however for the purposes of IT hosting and maintenance this information may be located on servers within the European Union.
No 3rd parties have access to your personal data unless the law allows them to do so and appropriate safeguards have been put in place. We have a Data Protection regime in place to oversee the effective and secure processing of your personal and or special category (sensitive, confidential) data.
Who are our partner organisations?
We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations;
- NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
- GP’s
- eMBED Health
- Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
- Private Sector Providers
- Voluntary Sector Providers
- Ambulance Trusts
- Clinical Commissioning Groups
- Social Care Services
- NHS England (NHSE) and NHS Digital (NHSD)
- Local Authorities
- Education Services
- Fire and Rescue Services
- Police & Judicial Services
- Voluntary Sector Providers
- Private Sector Providers
- Other ‘data processors’ which you will be informed of
You will be informed who your data will be shared with and in some cases asked for consent for this to happen when this is required.
We may also use external companies to process personal information, such as for archiving purposes. These companies are bound by contractual agreements to ensure information is kept confidential and secure. All employees and sub-contractors engaged by our practice are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. If a sub-contractor acts as a data processor for the practice an appropriate contract (art 24-28) will be established for the processing of your information.
How long will we store your information?
We are required under UK law to keep your information and data for the full retention periods as specified by the NHS Records management code of practice for health and social care and national archives requirements. More information on records retention can be found online at (https://digital.nhs.uk/article/1202/Records-Management-Code-of-Practice-for-Health-and-Social-Care-2016)
How can you access, amend move the personal data that you have given to us?
Even if we already hold your personal data, you still have various rights in relation to it. To get in touch about these, please contact us. We will seek to deal with your request without undue delay, and in any event in accordance with the requirements of any applicable laws. Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.
Right to object: If we are using your data because we deem it necessary for our legitimate interests to do so, and you do not agree, you have the right to object. We will respond to your request within 30 days (although we may be allowed to extend this period in certain cases). Generally, we will only disagree with you if certain limited conditions apply.
Right to withdraw consent: Where we have obtained your consent to process your personal data for certain activities (for example for a research project), or consent to market to you, you may withdraw your consent at any time.
Right to erasure: In certain situations (for example, where we have processed your data unlawfully), you have the right to request us to “erase” your personal data. We will respond to your request within 30 days (although we may be allowed to extend this period in certain cases) and will only disagree with you if certain limited conditions apply. If we do agree to your request, we will Delete your data but will generally assume that you would prefer us to keep a note of your name on our register of individuals who would prefer not to be contacted. That way, we will minimise the chances of you being contacted in the future where your data are collected in unconnected circumstances. If you would prefer us not to do this, you are free to say so.
Right of data portability: If you wish, you have the right to transfer your data from us to another data controller. We will help with this with a GP to GP data transfer and transfer of your hard copy notes
Access to your personal information
Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR): You have a right under the Data Protection legislation to request access to view or to obtain copies of what information the surgery holds about you and to have it amended should it be inaccurate. To request this, you need to do the following:
- Your request should be made to the Practice – for information from the hospital you should write direct to them
- There is no charge to have a copy of the information held about you
- We are required to respond to you within one month
- You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth, NHS number and details of your request) so that your identity can be verified, and your records located information we hold about you at any time.
What should you do if your personal information changes?
You should tell us so that we can update our records please contact the Practice Manager as soon as any of your details change, this is especially important for changes of address or contact details (such as your mobile phone number), the practice will from time to time ask you to confirm that the information we currently hold is accurate and up-to-date.
Summary Care Record
Your patient record is held securely and confidentially on the electronic system at your GP practice. If you require treatment in another NHS healthcare setting such as an Emergency Department or Minor Injury Unit, those treating you would be better able to give you appropriate care if some of the information from the GP practice were available to them.
This information can now be shared electronically via: The Summary Care Record, used nationally across England
The information will be used only by authorised health care professionals directly involved in your care. Your permission will be asked before the information is accessed, unless the clinician is unable to ask you and there is a clinical reason for access.
If you would like to opt out, please ask reception for our opt out form.
A parent or guardian can request to opt out children under 16 but ultimately it is the GP’s decision whether to create the records or not, because of their duty of care to the child. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 and feel that they are able to understand, then you should make this information available to them.
Who Has Access?
Across all health care settings, including urgent care, community care and outpatient departments in England.
Information Source
GP record
Content
- Your current medications
- Any allergies you have
- Any bad reactions you have had to medicines
- Additional information (upon request to your GP)
For more information visit:
www.digital.nhs.uk
Violence Policy
The Practice staff shall always show due respect and courtesy when dealing with patients and their representatives. We respectfully request that patients and their representatives do the same when dealing with members of the practice team.
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons.
No form of aggression (whether verbal or physical in nature) will be tolerated – any instances of such behaviour on the practice premises may result in the perpetrator being reported to the Police and removed from the practice’s List of Registered Patients.
Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.