Practice Charter

Health And Safety Policy Statement

Our practice policy is to establish as safe a workplace as possible for all persons working in and visiting the surgery premises.

All employees will be given access to information and equipment, which they may need in order to work safely. The surgery also accepts responsibility for the health and safety of other visitors, such as patients and contractors who may be affected by the activities of the surgery. We will ensure that any equipment used is regularly and efficiently maintained.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, all employees have responsibilities to co-operate with the doctors and practice manager to achieve a healthy and safe workplace and to take reasonable care of themselves and others.

Equal Opportunities/Dignity At Work Policy

No member of the practice may discriminate against or treat less favourably another member of the practice, a patient or member of the public attending the surgery, on grounds or gender, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour or creed, age, marital status, disability, medical condition, social background or sexual orientation. Respect and dignity are the rights of everyone - staff, patients and members of the public

Your Medical Records

What Information We Collect About You:

To make sure that you receive the best care possible we keep information about you. This may include:

Basic details about you, such as address and next of kin
Contacts we have had with you, such as consultations
Details about your health and any treatment and care you receive
Results of investigations such as blood tests
Relevant information from relatives or those who care for you and know you well

This information may be stored on paper or electronically on computer file. You can help us to keep it accurate by informing us of all changes in your circumstances.

How Your Records Are Used:

The main reasons for which your information may be needed are:

Giving you health care and treatment

Those involved in your care need accurate and up-to-date information to assess your health and decide what care you need. This information may also be needed if you see another doctor, or are referred to a specialist or another part of the NHS.

Looking after the health of the general public
Reviewing and assessing the care we provide to ensure it is of the highest standard
Teaching and training other healthcare professionals
Paying bills to doctors, dentists, nurses, hospitals, etc
Auditing accounts
Carrying out health research and development
Investigating complaints, legal claims or untoward incidents
Making sure our services can meet patients' needs in the future
Preparing statistics on NHS performance and activity

For purposes other than your direct care, we use anonymous data wherever possible.

You Have A Right Of Access To Your Health Records:

The Data Protection Act 1998 gives you the right to access information held on computer and certain manual records. This right applies to your health records. If you want to see your records you should make a written request to the NHS organisations where you are being, or have been, treated. You should give your full details in order that information about you may be located.

If you require a copy of the information, the following fees may be charged:

A maximum of £10 for computer records
A maximum of £50 for manual records

All requests will be dealt with within 40 days.

Sometimes the doctor may decide to withhold information in your record from you. This only happens when the information is about other people, or it is felt that you could be caused harm.

Anyone who receives information from us is under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

Occasions when we must pass on information by law include:

Notification of new births
Infectious diseases that may endanger the safety of others, eg meningitis or measles

Please note that information passed on about sexually transmitted infections is anonymous. However, as required by law, personal details will be passed on for details of infectious hepatitis.

Where a formal court order has been issued

We may also pass on information in exceptional circumstances, such as when the health and safety of others is at risk.

Further Information

Please speak to the practice manager if you would like to know more about how we use your information or you do not wish to have your information used in any of the ways described here.

We believe that confidentiality is very important. Please speak to the practice manager if you have any concerns about the confidentiality of your information.

How We Keep Your Records Confidential

Everyone who works for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. You may be receiving care from other people as well as your doctor, eg NHS hospital trusts, social services, private hospitals, etc. So that we can all work together for your benefit we may need to share some of your health information. We will only do this if there is a genuine need for it.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is the duty of a person not to disclose anything about a patient who has attended, consulted or been treated at the surgery, without their prior consent.

The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is as great as the duty owed to any other person.

All patients can expect that their personal information will not be disclosed without their prior permission, except in the most exceptional circumstances when disclosure is required when somebody is at grave risk of serious harm.

Suggestions & Complaints

We are pleased to welcome any comments, suggestions or compliments you may have. We operate a practice-based complaints system.

In the even of a problem or complaint, firstly contact the practice manager or head receptionist in person, by phone or by letter. We aim to resolve the majority of complaints at local level by using a practice complaints procedure first. Please give us all the relevant details as clearly as possible and as soon after the event as you are able. Your rights to complain to the Primary Care Trust are in no way affected. We will:

Acknowledge your complaint within two working days.
Try to offer you an explanation within 10 working days.
Arrange a meeting to discuss your concerns with those involved, if appropriate.
Offer an apology, if appropriate.
Take action to ensure the cause of your complaint is not repeated.
Use your complaint to improve our services and provide training, where necessary.

Complaints On Behalf Of Others

Due to strict patient confidentiality, if you complain on behalf of someone else (even a close relative), we will require you to complete a complaints form, ensuring that the patient signs and authorizes you to complain and receive an answer to the complaint on their behalf.

ALL ACTS OF CRIMINAL VIOLENCE OR AGGRESSION WILL BE NOTIFIED TO THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY.

Zero Tolerance Policy

The practice is committed to producing a high quality level of care to our patients. The relationship between the patients and those working at the surgery is an important issue. Therefore, in order to protect both staff and patients, we respectfully point out that the following behaviour will not be tolerated:

Threatening or abusive behaviour
Verbal or physical abuse
Swearing
Drunkenness

Such behaviour has a marked effect on staff and patients and, therefore, where such behaviour is observed, we reserve the right to withdraw from treating the patient and ensuring removal from the premises and from the practice lists, of those involved.

Freedom Of Information - Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a publication scheme. A publication scheme is a guide to the “classes” of information that the practice intends to make routinely available. This scheme is available from reception.