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 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 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.
Our Responsibilities to You
We are committed to giving you the best possible service. We will ensure the following:
- People involved in your care will give you their names and ensure that you know how to contact them
- You should not wait more than 15 minutes in the waiting room without receiving an explanation for the delay
- You will have access to a doctor rapidly in case of emergency; within half a working day in cases of urgency; and otherwise within three working days. We will arrange a home visit as appropriate for those who are too ill to come to the surgery
- You will have the right to express a preference of practitioner. Please ask for the clinician of your choice when requesting an appointment.
- We will try to answer the telephone promptly, ideally within 5 rings, and ensure there are sufficient staff to do this
- We will advise you when and how to obtain results of any tests you may have to undergo
- You will be treated with courtesy and respect.
Your Responsibilities to Us
Help us to help you. To do so please remember to:
- Let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number. We send our patient text reminders for appointment and invitations for some clinics. Please ensure we have your up to date number.
- Do all you can to keep your appointment. If you no longer require it please cancel it. Other patients may require it. KEEP IT OR CANCEL IT! If you continually fail to attend for appointments you may be removed from the practice list
- Please ask for home visits only when you are too ill to attend the surgery
- Please keep your telephone calls brief and avoid telephoning during the peak morning time (8.30 am - 10.00 am) for non-urgent matters.
- Test results take time to reach us, so please do not ring before you have been asked to do so. Please telephone between 2pm and 4pm for test results
- We ask that you treat the doctors and staff with respect and courtesy.
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.