Confidentiality And Access To Your Medical Records
Your medical records are confidential and will not be discussed with anyone else without your permission. The practice complies with the Data Protection Act.
We ask you for information about yourself so that you can receive proper care and treatment.
We keep this information, together with details of your care, because it may be needed if we see you again. We may use some of this information for other reasons; for example, to help us protect the public generally and to see the NHS runs efficiently, plans for the future, trains its staff, pays its bills and can account for its actions. Information may also be needed to help educate tomorrow's clinical staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone.
Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information, for example: to notify a birth.
The NHS Central Register for England and Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The register does not contain medical information.
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.
You may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all work together for your benefit we may need to share some information about you.
We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone's interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you. Law strictly controls the sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information.
Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.
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 the practice routinely make available and is available from reception.
Chaperone Policy
There are occasions when patients need to be examined by a doctor which may involve intimate examinations. It is usual for another person to be present at these times to safeguard the doctor and the patient – a chaperone. The doctor will usually ask if the patient wishes this, although you may decline. At any time, if you wish a chaperone to be present please do not hesitate to ask the doctor. It may not be possible for a chaperone to be provided immediately and you may have to return for the examination to be carried out at a mutually convenient time, or you may wish to ask a relative or friend to accompany you.
Zero Tolerance
We fully accept that when people are unwell and possibly anxious they may well be more short-tempered than usual. However, there is no reason why our dedicated and loyal staff should tolerate unprovoked, blatant rudeness, aggression and unreasonable demands. This policy is designed to protect the GPs and the staff at the surgery from the small minority of patients who are constantly rude, aggressive and demanding. We will have no hesitation in removing from our list patients who cannot demonstrate good manners and reasonable behaviour to our employees.