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.
Freedom of Information
The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt.
Model Publication Scheme – further information
Comments and Complaints
COMPLIMENTS, COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS
We welcome your views and constructive suggestions which will help us improve our service to you. There is a suggestion box located in the waiting room.
PRACTICE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint about the service you have received from the Doctors or any of the staff working at this Practice, please let us know. We operate a Practice Complaints Procedure as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
A complaints pack, available from reception, explains the process and includes a form to complete.
If You Feel You Need To Complain
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, preferably at the time they arise with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days or at the most a few weeks as this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
- within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem, or
- within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.
Complaints should be addressed to Mr Jason Longstaff, in the first instance, or one of the Doctors. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Jason in order to discuss your concerns. Jason will explain the complaints procedure to you and will ensure your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.
Mechanism For Dealing With A Complaint
We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:
- find out what had happened and what went wrong.
- make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this.
- make sure you receive an apology where this is appropriate.
- identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
Complaining On Behalf Of Someone Else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
Complaining To NHS England (Leics & Lincs) Area Team
We hope that if you have a grievance you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of correcting whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our Practice. Nevertheless, this does not affect your right to approach NHS England. If you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation you should contact the Complaints Manager at NHS England. The Complaints Manager may be contacted on 01522 513355 or by writing to the Complaints Manager at Lincolnshire AT, Cross O’Cliff, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, LN4 2HN.
NHSE also operates a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) which can often help resolve any problems before they become complaints. To speak to a PALS officer, ring 0845 602 4384. In addition, the NHS Complaints Advocacy Service are available to help you through the complaints process. Their services are free of charge and they can be contacted on 0300 200 0084.
If you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation you can contact the Ombudsman by telephoning 0345 015 4033, or by writing to The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.
Ombudsman Services
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website contains detailed information on raising a complaint about any aspect of the NHS in England. There is also a leaflet explaining the procedure of bringing a complaint to the ombudsman.
Your Named GP
Each patient registered at the surgery will have a named/accountable GP. Your named accountable GP will usually be the doctor you are registered with. This is largely an administrative exercise and having a named GP does not prevent you seeing any other doctor in the practice. Your named GP will not be available at all times and if your needs are urgent, you may need to discuss them with an alternative doctor.
Data Opt-out
Your record may be shared with other healthcare professionals and additions to this record may also be made by relevant healthcare professionals and organisations involved in your direct healthcare. You may have the right to demand that this record is not shared with anyone who is not involved in the provision of your direct healthcare.
To find out more about the wider use of confidential personal information and to register your choice to opt out, if you do not want your data to be used in this way, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/
Note: if you do choose to opt out, you can still consent to your data being used for specific purposes. However, if you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. You may however change your choice at any time.
COVID-19 Privacy Notice
In response to the current COVID-19 pandemic we have published a new privacy notice which you can view and download here
For updated information regarding your Summary Care Record (SCR) and Covid-19 please see the information located here
GDPR Policy
Please click on the links below to access the relevant GDPR policy for the surgery.
GDPR-Notice For Adults
GDPR-Privacy Notice For Children
GDPR-SAR Policy
GDPR-Subject Access Request Form
Data Protection Privacy Notice
This privacy notice lets you know what happens to any personal data that you give to us, or any information that we may collect from you or about you from other organisations.
This privacy notice applies to personal information processed by or on behalf of the practice.
This Notice explains
- Who we are and how we use your information
- Information about our Data Protection Officer
- What kinds of personal information about you we hold and use (process)
- The legal grounds for our processing of your personal information (including when we share it with others)
- What should you do if your personal information changes?
- For how long your personal information is retained / stored by us?
- What are your rights under Data Protection laws
To view the policy in its entirety, please click here
