Freedom of Information

Freedom of Information Policy

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HEALTH RECORDS

We ask you for information 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.  The main reasons for which your information may be needed include: giving health care and treatment, looking after the health of the general public, managing and planning the NHS, review of care to ensure the highest standard, training and research.

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential and legislation controls the sharing of information.  You have the right of access to your health records - the practice secretaries can advise you of this procedure.

If you wish to register any objection to the sharing of confidential information as outlined above or need further information or would like to discuss any issues of confidentiality, please contact the practice manager.

Any objections will be respected except where disclosure of information is essential to protect you or someone else from the risk of death or serious illness. 

The practice has complied with the guidance required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Publication Scheme. You may obtain a printed copy on request from the practice.

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CONFIDENTIALITY

All staff are bound by the rules of professional confidentiality, and an interview room is available for confidential enquiries.

For further inforamtion about protecting the confidentaility of patients is avaialble at www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/safeguarding_confidentiality

Please ask your Doctor if you have any concerns or contact

Head of Clinical Governance Health Protection Agency 61 Colindale Avenue Londaon NW9 5EQ 020 8200 4400

email: caldicott@hpa.org.uk

Complaints

Our aim is to provide the highest level of care for all our patients and we are always willing to hear if there is anyway that you think we can improve the service we provide.

If in the unfortunate circumstances you feel you are not satisfied with level of service that you have received from the Practice(s) 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 - ideally within a matter of days or at the most a few weeks - because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.

All staff are able to advise you on the practice complaints procedure and ensure your concerns are dealt with promptly.

You can make your complaint:

In Person - Please ask to speak to Mrs Wendy Allcock, Reception Manager or Mrs Cynthia Jones, Reception Supervisor

In Writing - Sometimes it is easier to explain in words please give as much information as you can and then send your complaint to Mrs Wendy Allcock as soon as possible.

We will ensure your complaint is acknowledged within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days we should then be in a position to offer you an explanation or meeting with the people concerned / involved.

We do hope that you will use the practice in-house complaints procedure as we believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and the opportunity to improve the services we provide.

However this does not affect your right to approach the local Health Trust if you do not feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or are dissatisfied with the way we are dealing with your complaint.

Comments  & Complaints Unit

NHS Hampshire Headquarters Omega House 112 Southampton House Eastleigh hants SO50 5PB

Tel: 02380 627600

email: comments&complaints@hampshirepct.nhs.uk or website www.hampshirepct..nhs.uk

or for more asssistance in making a complaint

Independant Complaints Advocacy Service ICAS 1st Floor Clarendon House 9-11 Church Street Basingstoke Hants

01256463758  /  08456008616

RG21 7QR email: basingstoke.icas@icas@seap.org.uk website: www.seap.org.uk/icas/localmap.html

What We Will Do For You

• You will be treated couteously
• We are always committed to providing the best possible service
• We will always offer the treatment and advice we believe is best
• We will arrange a home visit if you are too ill to attend the surgery
• We will make every effort to see you promptly
• We will inform you how to get the results of tests and x-rays
• We will try to deal at once with any problems or complaints
• A doctor is on call at all times for emergencies
• You have the right to see your health records subject to any limitations in law
• Your records care and treatment will be kept confidential.
• We will try to answer the phone promptly and politely.  If you need to speak to a doctor you will be told when you can do this.
• All patients regardless of race, disability, nationality, colour, ethnic origin, social class, age, religion, gender or sexual orientation will be treated equally

How You Can Help Us

• Please treat all surgery staff with respect - they are only doing their job
• Be on time for your appointment, but be prepared to wait if your own consultation is delayed by an emergency
• Tell us of any change of name, address or telephone number so ours and your records are accurate
• Tell us if you need to cancel
• Call for a home visit or urgent appointment before 10.00am.  Home visits should only be requested if you are too ill to attend the surgery
• Do not run out of you medication
• Make routine follow up appointments before you leave the surgery
• Be prepared to give the reception staff an indication of the nature of your
  needs so you can be treated by the most appropriate person
• Tell us if you wish someone to accompany you during an examination as we
  routinely provide a chaperone
• Request a longer appointment if another member of the family also need
  to be seen
• We would, of course, be pleased to hear when you feel praise is due

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PATIENTS' RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

You have a right to expect a high standard of medical care from our practice and we try at all times to provide the very best care possible within the resources available.
In order to assist us in this we require that you take full responsibility for ensuring that you do not abuse the service. For example, it is your responsibility to ensure that you keep medical appointments and follow the medical advice given.

Very occasionally a practice/patient relationship breaks down completely. In this situation the patient may choose to register with a different practice. The practice also has the right to remove that patient from their list. This would generally only follow a warning that had failed to remedy the situation and we would normally give the patient a specific reason for the removal.

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Violent Patients - Zero Tolerance

The NHS operates 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 are obliged to 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 circumstances leading to it. The PCT is then responsible for providing further medical care for such patients.

CHAPERONE POLICY

The Practice is committed to providing a safe and comforatable environment where all patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and that the safety of everyone is of the highest importance

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any examination or consultation with a GP or Healthcare proffessional This may be a family member or friend You may also request a formal trained member of staff i.e a Practice Nurse

Where possible it would be most helpful that you request this at the time of your appointment so we can assure arrangements are in place and you do not have a delay in your appointed consultation

Your healthcare proffessional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations with them and will inform you of this prior to your examination

If you have any concerns with this policy please asked to speak to the Practice or Reception Manager