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.
To pursue a complaint please contact Debbie Beels who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.
All complaints should be in writing. If this should you cause you a problem we are happy to help you.
Acknowledgement of receipt of the written complaint will be made within three days, either via the telephone or by letter. If possible we will outline the planned investigation within the practice. A meeting will be arranged between the Practice and the complainant in order to try to resolve the situation.
At no time will the fact that a complaint has been made, be allowed to affect the clinical care of the patient.
If you wish to raise a concern about any aspect of your care and do not wish to make a formal complaint you should contact Patient Services . You may contact them by telephone on 0161 212 6270 or by email on patientservices@gmcsu@nhs.net.
their address ins
Patient Services , Complaints Team
Greater Manchester Commissioning Support Unit (GMCSU)
3rd Floor, St James House,
Pendleton Way ,
Salford
M6 5FW
if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you may refer the matter to:-
The Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman ,
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SWIP 4QP
Patient Services
As a patient, relative, carer, friend of a patient or any other member of the public, you may have questions about the services we provide and may need someone to turn to for on-the-spot help and advice. This is where Patient Services can help.
Patient Services listen to your concerns and suggestions and will treat all information confidentially.
If you have a complaint about a hospital, mental health or community service, please contact them directly.
For all complaints and enquiries about local GPs, Dentists, Pharmacists and Opticians please contact:
NHS England
Phone: 0300 3112233 Email: england.contactus@nhs.net Post: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch B97 9PT
For all patient complaints and enquiries about any other local health service please contact:
Patient Services, North West Commissioning Support Unit (NWCSU) Phone: 0161 212 6270
Email: patientservices.gmcsu@nhs.net Post: St James's House, Pendleton Way, Salford M6 5FW
If you need support in making a complaint please contact:
Independent Complaints Advocacy (ICA) Phone: 0808 8010390 Email: manchesterica@carersfederation.co.uk Post: 5th Floor, Arthur House, Chorlton Street, Manchester, M1 3FH
Suggestions
We are happy to recieve any suggestions that will improve the service that we offer to our patients. Will will review and assess all suggestions recieved but it may not always be practible or desirable to implement all suggestions.
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.