Confidentiality & Medical Records
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
Information about the General Practioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.
Access to Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Complaints
If you have a complaint:
- Please talk to the person concerned – this can often be the best way to sort things out
- If, however you do not want to do this, or you are unhappy with the outcome, please write to the practice manager outlining your complaint.
- Your letter will be acknowledged within 3 days
- The practice manager will fully investigate your complaints including interviewing you and the personnel involved if they think that will help
- The practice manager will aim to reach a conclusion within 10 working days of receiving your complain and you be informed of their conclusion in writing
- All complaints will be dealt with in the strictest confidence
If you are not satisfied with the response from the practice you can contact
Staff and services provided by GPs, pharmacists, dentists, opticians
Complain directly to the provider, or to the commissioner – NHS England:
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
Worcestershire
B97 6PT
CQC Care Quality Commission is an independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England. They monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. They protect the interests of vulnerable people including those whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act.
You can visit their website at www.cqc.org.uk to receive monthly newsletters, leave your experience at this GP Practice, and see how Practices are meeting the standards.
Violence Policy
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. 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.