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 NHS Digital when the law allows;
- in order to comply with its legal obligations this practice may send data to NHS Digital 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 legislation comprises of General Data Protection (GDPR) 2016 in conjunction with the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and includes the following rights:
- to be informed
- of access
- to rectification
- to erasure
- to restrict processing
- to data portability
- to object
- not to be subject to automated decision-making including profiling
Arch will strive to provide all those rights, without exception, to our patients.
Information Governance Policy
Data Security and Protection
Privacy Notices
Direct Care CQC Emergencies Screening Programs Payments Summary Care Records NHS Digital Public Health Research Risk Safeguarding
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 General Data Protection Legislation (and DPA 2018) and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager. No information will be released without the patient's consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Infection Control
Our Infection Control Statements can be found here:
Infection Control Annual Statement 2016-17
Infection Control Annual Statement 2017_18
Equality & Diversity
Arch is committed to celebrating diversity, promoting equality, fostering equal opportunities and tackling discrimination in all it does to ensure that employees, clients and service users are treated with respect and valued equally.
Safeguarding
As part of our work, Arch staff come into contact with children and/or adults at risk of abuse. All staff are aware of the safeguarding procedures to support vulnerable groups and keep service users and the public safe from harm. Our compliance with appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures is essential to prevent and identify abuse, and ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place to support people when abuse does occur.
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.