Confidentiality

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.

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Access to Medical Records

Making an Access Request

• Ask at reception for an access form entitled 'Application for Access to Medical Records'
• Ensure that the form is fully completed, using a separate sheet of paper if necessary, and return it together with the fee of £10 (non-refundable)
• Where copy records are required an additional fee will be payable which will not exceed £50 (including the £10 fee above)
• Your request will be considered and you will be advised of the decision within 21 days.  There is no facility for immediate access.

Freedom of Information

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt by 1st January 2009.

Model Publication Scheme - further information

Computers

The practice is computerised and they are used for various health topics, including smear and immunisation recall and the issuing of repeat prescriptions. The practice is registered under the Data Protection Act.

Complaints & Suggestions

Our practice has an in-house procedure for dealing with complaints and suggestions. If you have any complaints or comments about our service please write to our practice manager (all such matters are dealt with in the strictest confidence). Any complaint will be thoroughly investigated and, usually, within 14 days you will receive a written reply or an invitation to discuss your complaint with the party concerned.

If you are still dissatisfied you may take the matter further by applying to:

Nottingham County Teaching Primary Care Trust
Ransom Hall
Southwell Road West
Rainworth
Notts NG21 0ER
Telephone: 01623 414114

The Independent Complaints Advisory Service
Unit 2.1
Clarendon House
Clumber Avenue
Nottingham
Telephone: 0845 650 0088

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.

Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.

So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.

PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.

What does PALS do?

In particular, PALS will:

• Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry
• Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
• Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
• Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
• Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally
• Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
• Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.

Find out more

If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the standards it should strive to achieve, follow this link.

Patients Charter

• You will be treated with courtesy by all team members, who will be skilled in dealing with your enquiries and problems.
  
• All team members will respect your confidentiality. Your records, both written and computerised, will be kept secure and confidential.
  
• If you are considered to have an urgent medical problem, you will be seen the same day.
  
• With a non-urgent problem, you should normally be able to see a doctor within two working days.
  
• With a non-urgent problem, you should normally be able to see the doctor of your choice within three working days.
  
• Waiting times at the surgery will be kept to a minimum. You will be advised of any delay to your booked appointment.
  
• All children will be offered immunisation.
  
• All patients over the age of 75 will be offered an annual health check by a member of the practice team.
  
• All referrals will be dealt with promptly, and you will be advised on how you will be told of any test results.
  
• Your complaints will be investigated thoroughly and promptly. You will be informed of the findings.

Patients Have Responsibilities Too

• You should give the Primary Health Care Team the same courtesy you would expect to receive.
  
• You should be on time for appointments or notify the practice in good time if an appointment cannot be kept.
  
• You should only request routine home visits for the housebound and the seriously ill.
  
• You should only request out-of-hours home visits for emergencies.
  
• You should request repeat prescriptions in good time, between 10.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
  
• You should take care of your own health by appropriate action, for example by not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol or weight gain.

Courtesy to staff

Staff are required to be courteous to the public and courteous behaviour towards staff is appreciated.

Abusive or violent behaviour causes offence to both staff and patients. We may refuse to provide services or prosecute any person whose behaviour is disruptive.

This practice operates a zero tolerance policy of verbal or physical aggression towards all practice staff. The practice has the right to remove patients from the list because of persistent unacceptable behaviour.