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.

CQC Rating

You can be sure that anything you discuss with a member of this practice – family doctor, nurse or receptionist – will stay confidential.

Even if you are under 16, nothing will be said to anyone – including parents, other family members, care workers or tutors – without your permission. The only reason why we might have to consider passing on confidential information without your permission would be to protect you or someone else from serious harm. We would always try to discuss this with you first.

If you are being treated elsewhere – for example at a hospital or Brook Centre – it is best if you allow the doctor or nurse to inform the practice of any treatment you are receiving. If you have any worries about confidentiality, please feel free to ask a member of staff.

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.

Comprehensive Privacy Notice

Easy Read Privacy Notice

Short Privacy Notice

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.

From April 2016 it has become a contractual requirement for all GP practices to publish the mean net earnings of the partners, salaried GPs and locums who have worked in the practice for over six months, on their Practice website.

Some services require that information be shared with other healthcare agencies such as hospital trusts, primary care trusts, social services, community nurses etc (the list is not exhaustive).

Whilst it is vital for the proper care of individuals that those concerned with that care have ready access to the information they need, it is also important that service users and their carers can trust that personal information will be kept confidential and that their privacy is respected.

Although it is neither practicable nor necessary to seek an individual’s consent each time that information needs to be shared or passed on for a particular purpose, this is contingent on individuals having been fully informed of the uses to which information about them may be put. All agencies concerned with the care of the individual should satisfy themselves that this requirement is met.

Clarity about the purpose to which personal information is to be put is essential and only the minimum identifiable information necessary to satisfy that purpose should be made available.Access to personal information should be on a need to know basis.This practice has a protocol for such information sharing.

Summary Care Record

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

Why do I need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.

This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.

How do I know if I have one?

Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP.

Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.

More Information

For further information visit the NHS Care records website

National data opt-out – NHS Digital

The practice operates a zero tolerance policy in regards to violence and abuse towards staff. Violence and/or abuse will not be tolerated under any circumstances and may result in removal from the patient list. The full policy is displayed in the waiting area at all sites.

We produce a practice newsletter for patients, which is distributed in the waiting areas. Please inform reception if there are none available. Patient information and notices can also be found on this website here.

Practice Responsibilities

You can expect to be treated with courtesy by everyone working at the practice.Confidentiality is guaranteed at all times.You have a right to information and are encouraged to ask questions about your health.Advice on self-help for minor illness is available from the nurse. If you are too ill to attend and need to see a doctor you can expect a home visit. Please ring before 11.00am except in an emergency.You are entitled to complain to the practice manager who will either see you or will reply to written complaints as soon as possible.

Patients’ Responsibilities

You have a responsibility to be courteous to practice staff.You should keep the appointments you have made or you should give reasonable notice if you wish to cancel them.Please be on time.Please refrain from asking for extra people to be seen on an appointment.You alone are responsible for the healthiness of your lifestyle.

Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, we are currently pausing our complaints process, in line with national guidance.

You can still raise concerns or make a complaint, but we may not be able to investigate it and respond as we normally would. We will acknowledge your complaint, log it on our system, and check for any immediate patient safety, safeguarding or practitioner performance issues. If there are, we will take immediate action as necessary. If your complaint is about anything else, it will remain open until further notice, unless you choose to withdraw it.

When normal services are resumed, we will investigate and deal with it as soon as we can.

Please note that of 26 March, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has stopped accepting new NHS complaints and has stopped work on open cases. Thank you for your understanding.

Complaints About The Practice

If you have a complaint about the practice please contact our practice manager, Mrs Karen Smith, in the first instance. You can do this by telephone, in writing or by asking at the reception desk.

To comply with the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) we have created a Privacy Notice which explains how we collect, look after and use your data. See link below for the full Notice.

Comprehensive Privacy Notice

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.