Practice Policies & Patient Information
Chaperones
If you would like a chaperone present during your consultation then either advise the receptionist when booking your appointment or when checking in at reception, or advise the consulting medical professional during your consultation.
There may also be times when the consulting medical professional feels it would be appropriate for a chaperone to be present during the consultation. If this is the case this will be explained to you at the time.
Confidentiality
All employees of the practice have a legal duty to keep your medical information confidential and anyone who receives that information from us is bound by the same legal duty. If you are receiving care from other people, both within and outside the NHS, we may need to share information to enable us to all work together for your benefit.
The sharing of information is strictly controlled by law, so unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as when the safety of others is at risk, we will not disclose your information to third parties without your permission. We will only give information to your relatives, friends or carers with your permission.
Sometimes the law requires us to report certain information to appropriate authorities, eg notification of a birth or to protect the safety of members of the public.
Under 16s
Young people aged less than 16 years can choose to see health professionals without informing their parents or carers. These young people have the same right to confidentiality. If a GP considers that the young person is competent to make decisions about their health, then the GP can give advice, prescribe and treat the young person without seeking further consent. However, health professionals will encourage young people to discuss issues with a parent or carer.
Sometimes the law requires us to report certain information to appropriate authorities to protect young people or members of the public.
Freedom of Information
Information about the general practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act can be made available to the public.
All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.
GP Earnings
All GP Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each surgery.
The average pay for GPs working in Oakside surgery in the last financial year was £54,940 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full time GPs, 1 part time GP: and 2 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.
Named GP
All patients registered with the practice will be allocated a named GP who is responsible for a patients’ overall care. You will be informed who this is when you first register with the practice. If you have a preference for a particular GP when registering this should be notified to the receptionist when handing in your completed GMS1 form.
If, in the future, you wish to know who your named GP is, please ask reception for details.
Summary Care Record
There is a 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.
You can also have an ‘Including additional information’ or ‘Enriched Summary Care Records’; this is where a patient consents to including additional information in their SCR, the GP can add it simply by changing the consent status on the clinical system. This means more information will be available to health and care staff viewing the SCR. It will then be automatically updated when the GP record is updated.
This is a quick, cost-effective way to:
- improve the flow of information across the health and care system
- increase safety and efficiency
- improve care
- respond to particular challenges such as winter pressures
It’s particularly useful for people with complex or long term conditions, or patients reaching end of life.
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.
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 and submit our online form.
More Information
For further information visit the HSCIC Website.
Summary Care Record Opt Out
Your Summary Care Record contains important information from the record held by your GP practice and includes details of any medicines you are taking, any allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you have previously experienced. Your Summary Care Record also includes your name, address, date of birth and your unique NHS Number to help identify you correctly.
As part of a mandatory national programme each GP Practice had to make a summary care record for each patient by March 2015 (unless the patient has already opted out). You can choose to opt out of this scheme at any time.
Ask reception for the form.
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 a fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal form the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.