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
In the first instance, complaints should be made to the practice manager. In more serious cases, you may be requested to put the complaint in writing however if you are unable or prefer not to do this yourself or if you feel that you need some help with this then please discuss this with the practice manager.
As a patient, you have the right to be treated in a courteous and non- discriminatory manner. Your requests will be dealt with efficiently.
Details of where how to complain – help and taking complaint further
NHS Complaints Process for NHS commissioned services (GP, dentist etc.) now consists of two distinct stages, information regarding which can be found on the NHS Choices website found at –
http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/Pages/NHScomplaints.aspx
Stage One – make a formal complaint to the practice complaints manager (usually the practice manager) or alternatively, if you feel too uncomfortable to complain to the service provider directly then you can make a complaint to the commissioner of the services instead. NHS services are commissioned, planned and paid for by either NHS England or Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) – our NHS complaints prcedure is via NHS England PO Box 16738 Redditch B97 9PT Tel: 0300 311 2233 england.contactus@nhs.net
Please Note: if you have already complained to your service provider (GP practice) then the Commissioner (NHS England) will not be able to reinvestigate the same concerns. In this case you should proceed to Stage Two of the complaints process.
Stage Two - If following investigation via the NHS complaints procedure you remain unsatisfied you have the right to take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman, although their office will first look to see that all avenues have been explored with a view to resolving a complaint locally. For your information the Ombudsman is independent of government and the NHS and their service is confidential and free. There are time limits (12 months from the date of the event) for taking a complaint to the Ombudsman, although they can waive them if they think there is a good reason to do so. If you have any questions about whether the Ombudsman will be able to help you, or about how to make a complaint, you can contact their helpline on 0345 015 4033, email phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk or fax 0300 061 4000. Further information about the Ombudsman is available at www.ombudsman.org.uk.
You can write to the Ombudsman at:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
There are local independent advocacy services who may be able to advise/help you raise your concerns – our local Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) helpline number – 0845 337 3054. ICAS provides confidential independent advocacy for people who have a complaint about the NHS.
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.
Details for our DPO:
Head of Information Governance MLCSU
Heron House, 120 Grove Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4LX
Tel 01782 872648
Email mlcsu.dpo@nhs.net