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 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 to the HR Manager, Tracy Burchael.
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. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Practice Charter
These are the local standards set within this Practice for the benefit of our patients. It is our job to give you treatment and advice. Following discussion with you, you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care will be given without your informed consent. In the interest of your health it is important for you to understand all the information given to you. Please ask us questions if you are unsure about anything.
Responsibilities
Our Responsibilities to You (our patient)
We are committed to giving you the best possible service:
- Named Accountable GP - From 1st April 2015 we are required to allocate a Named Accountable GP to all our patients. Patients are usually informed of this when their application to register has been accepted but please ask a member of the team if you have not yet been informed of who this is. This does not affect your right to make an appointment to see the Clinician of your choice.
- Names - People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them. The surgery is well signposted and the doctors names are on the surgery doors.
- Telephone - We have several incoming lines and will try to answer the telephone promptly and to ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this. We offer telephone consultation appointments which allows patients the opportunity to speak to a doctor, nurse practitioner or nurse by telephone when required.
- Waiting Time - We run an appointment system in this Practice. You will be given a time at which the doctor, nurse practitioner or practice nurse hopes to be able to see you. You should not wait more than 20 minutes in the waiting room without being advised that there is a delay.
- Disclosure of Personal Information - In keeping with patient confidentiality within this Practice we will only disclose personal information regarding yourself to another health professional if this is in connection with your medical history.
Your Responsibility as a Patient
Help us to help you:
- Personal Details - Please let us know if you change your name, address, email or contact telephone numbers. A change of personal details form is available from the reception desk, or alternatively you can download a copy from our practice website.
- Telephone - Please keep your telephone call to the Practice brief and to the point and avoid calling during peak morning times for non-urgent matters.
- Waiting Time - Please arrive on time for your appointment. Please do everything you can to keep appointments - tell us as soon as possible if you are unable to attend.
- Children - Please supervise your children so that they do not cause a nuisance in the waiting room or surgeries.
Complaints
We strive to offer our patients an excellent, friendly, personal service. However, no matter how hard anyone tries, we must accept that from time to time problems may arise. If you are dissatisfied with our services and wish to make a complaint please speak to the person involved at the time, or as soon as possible after the situation which has given cause for concern. Alternatively you can contact our HR Manager, Tracy Burchael who will ensure that your concern/complaint is investigated thoroughly and as speedily as possible.
We operate an informal in-house complaints system, which meets the NHS complaints criteria.
A copy of The Almondbury Surgery Practice Complaints Procedure is available at the reception desk for any patient who would like to view it.
We take all complaints seriously and act upon them promptly in order to maintain the highest standards of care for our patients.
Comments and Suggestions
We welcome any comments or suggestions that you might have. Please address all comments and suggestions to our HR Manager, Tracy Burchael. Alternatively, we have a box available in our reception waiting room.
Compliments
We like to know when we are doing something well. If you would like to compliment us on any aspect of our service, please speak to a member of staff or write to our HR Manager, Tracy Burchael.
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.