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.
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.
If you have any complaints or concerns about the service that you have received from the doctors or staff working for this practice, please let us know.
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and 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.
Please see our complaints page found in ‘contact us’ page along the top for more details.
Violence and abuse 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.
Our Health Centre Policy states that ‘the staff and patients in this Practice have the right to work and be cared for in a safe and supportive environment. Abusive or aggressive behavior towards our staff or patients is unacceptable. We operate a zero tolerance policy for anyone who behaves in this manner’.
We do understand there may be extenuating circumstances which cause upset and we do always aim to help and support our patients wherever possible. However we all need to address situations in a calm and rational manner in order to agree a plan of action and a way forward.
GPConnect
We share your record using GP Connect to make sure that, whether you are visiting the practice, attending hospital, or being seen in the community or at home by a care professional, everyone knows the care you need and how you want to be treated. Your electronic health record is available to local providers who are involved in your care. This includes the sharing of, personal contact details, diagnosis, medications, allergies and test results. Your records will be treated with the strictest confidence and can only be viewed if you use their service.
Please note that if you have previously dissented (opted-out) to sharing your records, this decision will be upheld.
Should you wish to opt-out of, please email d-icb.mountpleasantcontacts@nhs.net who will be able to update your personal preferences. Please note that by opting out of this sharing, other health professionals may not be able to see important medical information, which may impact on the care you receive.
Summary Care Record (SCR)
NHS England have implemented the SCR which contains information about you; including your name, address, data of birth, NHS number, medication you are taking and any bad reactions to medication that you have had in the past. This information is automatically extracted from your records and uploaded onto a central system.
Many patients who are seen outside of their GP Practice are understandably not able to provide a full account of their care or may not be in a position to do so. The SCR means patients do not have to repeat their medical history at every care setting and the healthcare professional they are seeing is able to access their SCR. The SCR can only be viewed within the NHS on NHS smartcard-controlled screens or by organisations, such as pharmacies, contracted to the NHS.
As well as this basic record, additional information will also be added to include further information. You can find out more about the SCR here: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr
Contact us today on 01392 255722 or get in touch online for quality caring healthcare.
‘We are compliant with NHS Accessible information standards’