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 or care for you, for example from district nurses or hospital services.
- To help you receive other services, for example from the social work department. This requires your consent.
- When we have a duty to care to others for example, 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.
For more information on how patient information is used in the NHS or if you do not want your information to be used for any purpose beyond providing your care, you can choose to opt out, securely online, by visiting nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/ or alternatively, by telephoning 0300 303 5678.
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.
General Practice Data for Planning and Research (NHS Digital)
You may have read or heard news about NHS Digital using patient data for planning and research purposes. The following link explains what this is all about, in more detail. It also includes a video guide and details on how to 'opt out' of the NHS using your data for purposes other than your own care.
If you do complete an 'opt out' form, this will need to be returned to the practice so that we can appropriately record this decision on your medical record.
General Practice Data for Planning and Research - GP Practice Privacy Notice (NHS Digital)
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made in writing, where possible, (for example by letter or email) to the Practice Manager.
Access to Medical Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request information from their medical records or an appointment to view their records. Such requests should be made in writing, where possible, to the Practice Manager and may, in some circumstances, be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so. Requests can take up to 30 days to complete.
With the introduction of online access to parts of patient medical records, you may wish to consider registering for an online services account - more information can be found on our 'Online Services' page.
NHS Constitution
The NHS Constitution for England can be viewed HERE.
Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
To pursue a complaint please contact the Practice Manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure by clicking here. Alternatively, you can collect a copy of our Comments and Complaints patient leaflet by visiting reception.
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.