Newport Pagnell Medical Centre - Surgery policies on confidentiality, comments and suggestions, data protection etc

Confidentiality

The staff at this practice record information about you and your health so that you can receive the right care and treatment. We need to record this information, together with the details of the care you receive, so that it is available each time we see you.

The information recorded about you may be used for other reasons other than your personal care, for example, to help to protect the health of the general public generally, to plan for the future, to train staff and to carry out medical and other health research.

We are involved in research studies for which we provide anonymised information from patients’ notes. You cannot be identified in any way from these notes as all personal details (name, address, post code, full date of birth) are removed. Individual patients’ records are added into a much larger anonymous database from many patients across the UK which is used by researchers outside this practice. This data may be anonymously linked to other data, such as hospital data.

If you would like to opt out of this data collection scheme, please let your doctor know and your records will not be collected for use in the anonymous research database. This will not affect your care in any way.

If anything to do with the research would require that you provide additional information about yourself, you will be contacted by your GP to see if you are willing to take part. You will not be identified in any published results.

Note that you have a right of access to your health records. If at any time you would like to know more, or have any concerns about how we use your information, you can speak to a reception team leader on 01908 611767.

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

Security Policy

A copy of our Information Security Policy is attached.

Comments & Complaints

No service is perfect. We certainly are not. If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the personnel working at the Medical Centre, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS complaints system, which meets national criteria.

How to complain

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 - ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks - because this will help us to establish what happened more easily. In any event, this should be within 12 months of the incident or as soon as the matter first came to your attention.

You should address your complaint to the Complaints manager. She will ensure the most appropriate person deals with your concerns promptly and in the correct way. You should be as specific and concise as possible. You can complain in writing, download a complaint form and email it to mail.npmc@mkpct.nhs.uk, or complain verbally.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. A third party consent form will be required unless the patient is incapable (because of illness) to complete this.

Please click here to download a copy of our complaint and third party consent form.

What we do next

We shall acknowledge your complaint within three working days and will investigate the issues raised and respond within 6 weeks. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish.

When we look into your complaint, we aim to:

Offer you the option to discuss the way forward either by telephone or in person, ata mutually convenient time.
Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate;
Ensure the complaint is properly investigated;
Identify what we can do to ensure the problem does not happen again;
You will receive a final letter setting out the result of any practice investigations.

Taking it further

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter to:

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Millbank Tower

Millbank

London

SW1P 4QP

Tel: 0345 0154033

Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

Who else can I talk to?

NHS England

If you prefer, you may raise your complaint with NHS England who will look into your concerns.

Tel: 0300 311 22 33
Email: nhscommissioningboard@hscic.gov.uk

NHS Commissioning Board
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

The Independent Complaint Advocacy Service (ICAS)

This is a national service that supports people who wish to make a complaint about their NHS care or treatment. It is a free and confidential service that is independent of the NHS and tailored to individual client need.

ICAS have local office in Aylesbury and can be contacted in the following ways:

Telephone: 0845 6008616 (local rate) or 01256 463758
Email: Aylesbury.icas@seap.org.uk

SEAP ICAS
1^st Floor rear
Clarendon House
9-11 Church Street
Basingstoke
Hampshire
RG21 7QG

The Care Quality Commission

The CQC inspect GP practices and other primary medical services in England to check that they are meeting the national standards of quality and safety.

Tel: 03000 616161
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk

CQC National Correspondence
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA

Practice Charter

The Practice Charter sets out the standards of care and service we aim to provide for patients and which we think they should expect from us. We are committed to providing an efficient and high quality service for all patients. To succeed in this we need your help and support. It is important for you to understand all the information we give you. Please ask if you are unsure of anything.

Discrimation and Violent or abusive behaviour

We aim to treat all our patients courteously irrespective of race, colour, creed or sexual orientation and we expect patients to behave towards our staff in a similarly respectful manner. In the unlikely event that a person was to behave in a threatening, abusive, violent or discriminatory manner towards our staff or other patients, then they risk immediate removal from our practice list and premises.

Patients’ have the right to:

Be registered with a General Practitioner
Change doctor if desired
Be offered a health check on joining the practice
Receive urgent care at any time from the practice
Receive appropriate drugs and medicines
Be referred for specialist or second opinion if they and the GP agree
Have the right to view their medical records, subject to the Acts and associated procedure, and to know that those working for the NHS are under legal obligation to keep the contents confidential.

Patient responsibilities:

Courtesy to the staff at all times – remember they are working under doctors’ orders.
Responding in a positive way to questions asked by the reception staff.
To attend appointments on time or give the practice adequate notice that they wish to cancel. Someone else could use your appointment.
An appointment is for one person only – where another member of the family needs to be seen or discussed, another appointment should be made and the Medical Records be made available.
Patient should make every effort when consulting the surgery to make best use of nursing and medical time – home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience.
When patients are asked to give 48 hours notice for repeat prescriptions, please give us the time as it is to allow for accurate prescribing.
Out of hours calls (eg evenings, nights and weekends) should only be requested if they are felt to be truly necessary.

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

This Medical Centre is now registered with the Care Quality Commission.

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

The CQC profile for the medical centre can be found here.

It is their job to make sure that care provided by hospitals, GP surgeries, dentists, ambulances, care homes and services in people’s own homes and elsewhere meets national standards of quality and safety.

How our registration with the CQC will benefit patients:

They protect patients by tackling poor care and unsafe care services.
Patients can be assured that practices are inspected regularly and are meeting the standards they should be able to expect.
The information they publish will help patients make informed choices about where they receive care and what they can expect.
Patients can communicate directly with CQC if they have concerns about their care or want to give feedback.
Their judgements are patient-focused and they check if patients’ experience of care is what they should be able to expect.
Patients should experience consistent standards of care, whether they're receiving health or social care, because the essential standards apply to all health and social care services.
Patients will know that they're being treated by staff who have the right qualifications to do so.

Compliments/Positive Feedback

If you wish to make a compliment about the quality of service provided at the Medical Centre or excellent service provided by a particular team or member of staff, please click here and complete the feedback form.

Positive feedback is very much appreciated.

Consent Policy

What is consent?

Consentis the process by which you give permission to a health professional to provideyour care and treatment. It may beimplied (offering your arm for a blood pressure reading) or formal (signing aformal sent form for a procedure).

Ineither case your consent must be given voluntarily and you have all theinformation you need to make a decision. This includes what the treatment involves, the benefits and the risks,the details of any alternative treatments and what would happen if thetreatment does not go ahead.

How do I give consent?

Consentis a two way process between you and the health professional. It is a chance for you to ask any questions,and for the health professional to explain what your treatment or procedurewill involve.

Youmay give consent to the proposed course of action non-verbally, for example byoffering your arm for a blood test. Inmore complex cases, consent will be recorded on a consent form. The form enables the health professional torecord the different aspects involved in consent and allows you to sign to showyou agree. The form alone does not proveconsent but it does confirm your joint decision.

Where a child or young person cannot give consent for themselves, someone withparental responsibility must sign the form on their behalf.

Explaining the consent form

Thetreatment or procedure: benefits, risks and alternatives

Yourclinician will explain the procedure with you, in particular the intendedbenefits, the risks involved (including side-effects and complications) and thealternatives to the particular procedure proposed.

Important things you need to know

Patientchoice is an important part of your care. You have the right to change your mind at any time, even after you havegiven consent, and even if the treatment or procedure has started (as long asit is safe and practical to do so).

Wewill only carry out the treatment or procedure on your consent form.

Allinformation we hold about you is stored under the provisions of the dataProtection Act 1998.

What are the key things to remember?

It’syour decision! It’s up to you to choosewhether or not to consent to what’s being proposed. Ask as many questions as you like, andremember to tell the clinician about anything that concerns you or about anymedication, allergies or past history which might affect your health.

The Consent Form

Signedconsent forms are kept with your medical records. If you would like a copy, please ask yourhealth professional.

Can I find out more about giving consent?

TheDepartment of Health, Social Services and Public Safety “Consent – what youhave a right to expect” is a detailed guide on consent in versions for adults,children, parents, carers/relatives and people with learning disabilities. Youmay read it on the web site www.dhsspsni.gov.uk.

Noticeboard

It's not a 999 emergency. But you need medical help fast? There is now a 111 number to call.

What is 111?

It is a new NHS telephone number being introduced to help make it easier for you to access local health services. You can now call 111 when you need medical help fast, but it is not a 999 emergency.

You will be assessed, given advice and directed straightaway to the local service that can help you best. That could be A&E, an Urgent Care Centre or Minor Injuries Unit, an out of hours GP, community nurse, emergency dentist or a late opening pharmacist.

You can ring the 111 number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Calls from landlines and mobile phones are free.

There is a typetalk service (18001 111) for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Why should I use it?

NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help - wherever you are, and whatever the time.

It can also help us free up 999 and local A&E departments so that they can focus on emergency cases.

How does it work?

111 will get you through to a team of highly trained advisers, who are supported by experienced nurses. They will ask you questions to assess your symptoms, and give you the health care advice you need or direct you to the right local service. The NHS 111 team will, where possible, book you an appointment or transfer you directly to the people you need to speak to.

If NHS 111 advisers think you need an ambulance, they will immediately arrange for one to be sent to you.

Calls to 111 are recorded. All calls and the records we create are maintained securely, and will only be shared with others directly involved in your care.

When do I use it?

You should use the NHS 111 service if:

You need medical help fast, but it is not a 999 emergency.
You think you need to go to A&E or another NHS urgent care service.
You don't know who to call for medical help or you don't have a GP to call; or
You require health information or reassurance about what to do next.

For less urgent health needs, you should still contact your GP or local pharmacist in the usual way.

If a health professional has given you a specific number to call when you are concerned about your condition, please continue to use that number.

For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, continue to call 999.

For more information please visit www.nhs.uk/111