Practice Policies

Access Policy

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 site 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 Policy

The practice operates an internal complaints procedure known as local resolution.  The practice aims to give you a quick but thorough response to your complaint.

Anyone who is receiving or has received NHS treatment or services can make a complaint.

If you are unable to make your complaint yourself, then someone else such as a relative or a friend can complain for you.  If you are aged 16 or over your representative will need your written consent.

If you are complaining on behalf of a patient that has died you will need to provide a letter of administration or proof that you are the executor of the will.

It is important to make your complaint as soon as possible after the problem arises.

1. Complaints may be made verbally or in writing to the Practice Manager.
2. Your complaint will be recorded and acknowledged within 3 working days.
3. Your complaint will be investigated thoroughly and fairly.
4. As per the NHS England Complaints Resolution guidelines;
5. Inline with the NHS England’s complaints policy, we aim to respond within 40 working days. If no response is provided within six months, we will write to the complainant to explain the reasons for the delay and outline when they can expect to receive the response. At the same time, we will notify the complainant of their right to approach the PHSO without waiting for local resolution to be completed

If we are unable to satisfy the complainant through local resolution, or the complainant is unhappy with our response, they have the right to take their complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is independent of the government and the NHS. You can contact their helpline on 03450154033, email phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk, fax 03000614000 or via post Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Further information about the Ombudsman is available at www.ombudsman.org.uk 

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 services 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 Policy makers and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish that anonymous information about you 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 site manager.

National Data Opt-out

The application of the National Data Opt-Out to information shared by NHS Digital will be considered on a case by case basis and may or may not apply depending on the specific purposes for which the data is to be used.

This is because during this period of emergency, the National Data Opt-Out will not generally apply where data is used to support the coronavirus outbreak, due to the public interest and legal requirements to share information.

Your Rights over your Personal Data

To read more about the health and care information NHS Digital collects, its legal basis for collecting this information and what choices and rights you have in relation to the processing by NHS Digital of your personal data, see:

• the NHS Digital GPES Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (COVID-19) Transparency Notice
• the NHS Digital Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Transparency Notice
• the NHS Digital General Transparency Notice
• how NHS Digital looks after your health and care information