our policies
Confidentiality
The NHS advises patients to provide information
about their medical history to ensure patients
receive proper care and treatment. This information
is kept together with details of their care as
it may be required if they are seen again.
The NHS may use some of this information for other
reasons for example:
- to help improve the health of the public generally
- to see that the NHS runs efficiently
- to plan for the future
- to train NHS staff
- to pay bills
- to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty
to keep information about patients confidential.
Sometimes the law requires the NHS to pass on
information: for example, to notify a birth. The
NHS Central Register for England and Wales contains
basic personal details of all patients registered
with a general practitioner. The register does
not contain clinical information.
Patients may receive care and treatment from
other organisations as well as the NHS. In these
circumstances it may be necessary to share some
information about the patient so that they receive
the best possible treatment.
We only ever use or pass on information about
the patient if people have a genuine need for
it in your and everyone's interests. Whenever
we can we shall remove details which identify
the patient. The sharing of some types of very
sensitive personal information is strictly controlled
by law.
If the patient’s doctor is requested to
report information to external agencies such as
solicitors or insurance companies, he/she will
only do so with the patient’s explicit consent.
Anyone who receives information from us is also
under a legal duty to keep it confidential.
You have a right of access to your health records.
Access to your records
You have a right to know what information we
hold about you. If you would like to see your
records, please call or write to the business
manager, click here for
contact details.
Complaints, compliments
and comments
We want to provide you with the best possible
primary health care and we know there is always
room for improvement. Please take the time to
tell us when we get things right and when you
think we could do better.
Often, our staff can deal with any concerns
face-to-face, but if you wish to make a formal
complaint, please put it in writing, either by
filling in one of the forms available from reception
or by writing direct to the business manager.
If you have a suggestion on how the practice
can better meet your needs, please tell us. Again,
you can fill in a form available at reception
– or alternatively, just ask to speak to
one of the team-leaders or the business manager,
click here for contact details
Communication
The practice produces a quarterly newsletter
for patients, available from reception or click
here to download the newsletter. We also use the
notice boards in the waiting room to let patients
know of any relevant news. In addition, we are
aiming to develop the practice web-site during
2007.
We set up a patient group in February 2006 so
that patients can be more directly involved in
the future of this practice. Click
here to view the minutes from the patient group
meetings
Violent or Abusive patients
We aim to treat all of our patients courteously
at all times and expect our patients to treat
all of the Practice Staff and other patients in
a similarly respectful way. We take seriously
any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour
against any of our staff or patients. If a patient
is violent or abusive they will be warned to stop
their behaviour. If they persist, we may exercise
our right to take action to have them removed,
immediately if necessary, from our list of patients.
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