Practice Policies & Patient Information
Abusive Behaviour 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.
All staff in this Practice have the right to do their work in an environment free from violent, threatening or abusive behaviour and everything will be done to protect this right. If you do not respect the rights of our staff we may choose to inform the police and make arrangements for you to be removed from our medical list.
Accessible Information Standards
Accessible information standard aims to make sure people with disability, impairment and sensory loss are given the information they can easily read and understand.
Please let our staff know if you have any communication support needs.
Care Quality Commission
Chaperone
Chaperones are available to both male and female patients. Please discuss this with your doctor. Our chaperones are all fully trained to perform their duties.
Complaints
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the personnel working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaint procedure as part of an NHS complaints system, which meets national criteria.
Please see the below document with further complaints information and the complaints form.
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.
We have policies on non attendances and a zero tolerance to abuse of any kind.
Please also see the column on the right marked General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) this concerns privacy rights information which was introduced in May 2018
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Your Information and How we Use it
From 25th May 2018 the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into law. This changes the way we use your information and the process we have for you to access your information. This page gives you all the information you need to understand how we will use and process your data and how you can access your information.
Privacy Notice
This notice will tell you how we will use your information
Here is a useful link to a video to show you how information is shared
https://youtu.be/I4U6yNDLPWg you may need to copy this into your web browser
Below is this organisation’s Privacy notice:
GS Privacy notice for patients
Subject Access Requests (Requests for access to medical records)
As a data subject (a person we hold and process data for) you have a right to access the information we have about you.
To access this information you will need to complete a Subject Access Request form. This form can be accessed by clicking the form below. Once completed the form can be brought to the Practice (together with any identification required). To complete your request you will need to provide us with ID verification (this is whether you bring in your form or a third party such as a solicitor requests it). The identification is required even if you are already a patient due to the security requirements we need to satisfy. We require one piece of ID from each category as below;
A – Passport, Driving Licence or Birth Certificate
B – Utility bill, Bank statement, Medical card or similar
In the rare circumstance that you do not have the above ID there is a countersignature form that you can get completed by a professional person.
Once your ID has been verified your request is complete and we will provide your information within one calendar month. The policy of the practice will be to register you for online access to your own records unless you request otherwise.
There is no charge for this, however if you require additional copies of the information or make excessive requests we do have the right to charge for these.
Consent for Children
If you have parental responsibility for a child up to the age of 12 you have full responsibility and can have full access to their records.
When your child turns 12 we suggest you contact the practice – there are a few options at this point.
From the age of 12 your child can come to consultations on their own provided the clinician is comfortable that the child is able to make their own decisions.
12-16 year olds can also have their own online access but a clinician has to approve competency.
If a parent wants online access for a child aged 12-16 they must have a signed consent from the child then the parent can have access to booking appointments and repeat medications but NOT the medical record.
If the parent wants access to the medical record we will need the child’s signed consent and a clinician will have to see the child to confirm this decision.
Our Data Controller is Dr Jason Procter
Our Data Protection Officer is Louise Whitworth and her e mail address is [email protected] for any enquiries
GP Earnings
From April 2015 it has become a contractual requirements for GP practices to publish on their practice websites, by 31 March 2016, the mean net earnings of the partners, salaried GPs and locum who has worked in the practice for over six months.
“The average pay for GPs working at The Garden Surgery in the last financial year 2022/23 was £73,725 before tax and National insurance. This is for 3 Full-time and 3 Part time doctors who worked at the practice for more than 6 months”
Named GP
Every patient has an allocated GP and this is the same as your Registered GP unless you wish to request otherwise.
Primary Care Network
All practices in the UK are members of a Primary Care Network (PCN), which is a group of practices that have chosen to work together and with the local community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services to provide care to their patients. We are members of York Road PCN and work with Dr Taylor and partners (Shaftesbury/Church view surgery) and Dr Laybourn and partners (Rookwood/York road surgery)
This arrangement means that practices within the same PCN may share data with other practices within the PCN, for the purpose of patient care (such as extended hours appointments and other services), Each practice within the PCN is part of a stringent data sharing agreement that means that all patient data shared is treated with the same obligations of confidentiality and data security.
Summary Care Record
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I know if I have one?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS Care records website