Practice Policies

Confidentiality & Medical Records

Medical confidentiality is the cornerstone of trust between doctor and patient and we keep your records secure and confidential.

For your direct care either from the practice or within the NHS hospital service we imply your consent to pass on relevant clinical information to other professional staff involved in your direct care.

Only when there is a legal basis for the transfer of data we may pass limited and relevant information to other health organisations:

• contribute to medical research and we may send relevant information to medical research databases such as the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and QResearch’ when the law allows;
• contribute to national clinical audits and we may sometimes send relevant data to the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) when the law allows;
• in order to comply with its legal obligations this practice may send data to the Health and Social Care Information Centre when directed by the Secretary of State for Health.

If you wish to object to the use of your data for these ‘secondary’ uses please speak to Peter, the Practice Manager.

Data Protection principles are:

1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall not be processed unless –
   
   (a) at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met, and
   
   (b) in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions in Schedule 3 is also met.
   
   
2. Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes.
   
   
3. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.
   
   
4. Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.
   
   
5. Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
   
   
6. Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this Act.
   
   
7. Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
   
   
8. Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.

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

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 from 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.