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Data
Protection Act
St Lawrence Medical Practice
holds information in medical records and on the computer system. This information
is safeguarded and protected under the terms of the 1998 Data Protection Act.
On no account will details about you be given to any other individual,
even members of your family, without your prior written consent. If you wish to
access your medical records at any time, please ask the receptionist for details
of how to go about this.
Confidentiality
Of Patient 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.
We
may use some of this information for other reasons: for example, to help us protect
the health of the public generally and to see that the NHS runs efficiently,
plans for the future, trains its staff, pays its bills and can account for its
actions. Information may also be needed to help educate tomorrow’s clinical
staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone.
Sometimes
the law requires us to pass on information: for example, to notify a birth. The
NHS Central Register for England and Wales contains basic personal details of
all patients registered with a general practitioner. The register does not contain
clinical information.
You have a right of access to your health records.
EVERYONE
WORKING FOR THE NHS HAS A LEGAL DUTY TO KEEP INFORMATION ABOUT YOU CONFIDENTIAL.
You
may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS. So that we can all
work together for your benefit, we may need to share some information about you.
We
only ever pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it
in your and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can, we shall remove details
which identify you.
The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal
information is strictly controlled by law.
Anyone who receives information from us is under a legal duty to keep it confidential.
Patient Feedback
We are committed to giving you the best service we can. This is only possible if we work together, so please help us to help you. your co-operation is greatly appreciated by all of us at the practice.
If we fail to meet any of our charter standards or you are unhapped with the administration of the practice in any other way, please telephone or write to our practice manager at the Braintree Surgery. Your suggestions will be given due regard and may help us to provide a better service.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of your clinical treatment we would like you to make an appointment with your own doctor who will discuss the problem
Should this approach not be suitable, please contact our practice manager who will arrange an investigation of your complaint with another doctor.
Any plaudits will also be gratefully received!
Freedom
Of Information Act
In accordance with the Freedom of Information
Act 2000, the practice has adopted a publication scheme, a copy of which is available
on request.
Zero Tolerance
This practice participates in the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy scheme. This means that we do not tolerate rude, abusive or aggressive behaviour, in any form, to any member of our staff. Our staff are here to help you and we ask that you treat them with respect and courtesy.
Practice Complaints Procedure
We always try to give you the best services possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. The following explains what to do if you have a complaint about the services we provide for you.
Our practice procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. We hope you will use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, put right any problems you have identified or mistakes that have been made.
If you use this procedure it will not affect your right to complain to the Area Health Authority or the PCT, if you so wish. The appropriate contact address for the Area Health Authority and PCT is shown at the bottom of this page. Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient's consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by that patient in person.
If you wish to make a complaint, please phone or write to our practice manager. She will take full details of your complaint and decide how best to undertake the investigation.
We think it is important to deal with complaints swiftly so you will normally be offered an appointment for a meeting to discuss matters within seven days. Occasionally, if we have to make a lot of enquiries, it may take a little longer, but we will keep you informed. You may bring a friend or relative with you to the meeting.
We will try to address your concerns fully, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that may be needed. We hope that, at the end of the meeting, you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly. However, if this is not possible and you wish to continue with your complaint, we will direct you to the appropriate authorities who will be able to help you.
Swift House
Hedgerows Business Park
Colchester Road
Chelmsford
Essex
CM2 5PF
Tel: (01245) 398755
Practice Charter
Our Services To You The Patient
- We do our best to look after your health needs by treating and preventing illness. You should find our services helpful, kind, caring
and absolutely confidential.
- You may expect us to respond immediately to an emergency situation requiring life-saving treatment. For problems which you feel are
urgent, we will see you within 24 hours, and for non-urgent problems we will ensure an appointment within three working days.
- When you attend the surgery, we will provide you with the relevant service as promptly as possible and will not leave you waiting more
than 30 minutes for an appointment without an explanation.
- When you are unable to come to the surgery you may expect a home visit, though for non-urgent problems this may not be possible until
later in the day.
- You have a right to know as much about your medical condition as you want to know and we will always tell you the full truth, unless you
ask us to do otherwise. We will not discuss your case with anybody else, unless you wish us to and have given your consent first. You are welcome to see your health records, subject
to any limitations in the law, and discuss the contents with the doctor, if you wish.
- You may be invited to take part in medical student training or in medical research programmes, but there is no need for you to give your
consent unless you wish to do so.
- If you feel you need a specialist opinion, your doctor will arrange this for you, as long as they feel there is medical justification.
If not (and this is rare), you are advised to change GPs and seek specialist referral through your new doctor.
- You may expect us to do our best to obtain you good quality hospital services with the shortest possible waiting time, preferably local,
but elsewhere if medical need or waiting times make this necessary.
- We have a complaints procedure and if you are not happy about any of the services you should tell us. We will take the matter seriously
and do our best to right it for you.
Your Responsibilities As Patients Using Our Services
- Please do what you can to avoid wasting the doctor’s time. Do not come with minor coughs and colds or tummy bugs which do not
require a doctor’s help. A chemist can advise on simple measures and over-the-counter remedies.
- Try not to come to the doctor with problems which are not all medical. Doctors are not lawyers, financial advisors or housing
experts.
- If you cannot keep your appointment, please cancel it. It may then be given to someone else rather than wasted.
- If you know your problem requires a nurse’s attention only, please go straight to the nurse rather than using up an appointment
with the doctor first.
- Please do not abuse our services - in particular, do not ask for home visits when you are able to travel to the surgery.
- PLEASE do not call the doctor out, after hours, for routine matters or at night for problems which could easily wait until the
morning.
- Please take as much responsibility as possible for your own health. Follow advice from the doctor or nurse.
- Take medication properly, keep follow-up appointments and attend for screening procedures. Use the proper re-order form to request a
repeat prescription. Try not to abuse your body - think about your lifestyle.
- Please help the receptionist to help you. Do not mislead her by making a non-urgent matter seem like an emergency. It is unfair on those
patients who really are emergencies.
- Please be sure to attend appointments made for you at the hospital, unless you no longer need to, in which case inform both us and the hospital. It is estimated that thousands of pounds are wasted each year by patients who fail to keep appointments.
- Please let us know of any changes of name or address.
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