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 annonymised 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.
- Your GP practice along with other in NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group provides information into a risk stratification tool. The tool uses automated decision making to identify patients who are at risk of adverse outcomes such as unplanned hospital admissions and who may benefit from additional preventive support. Your identifiable information in this case will only be available to your GP but if you do not wish your information to be used or would like further information please speak to the Practice Manager.
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 hold your records in the strictest confidence, regardless of whether they are electronic or on paper. We take all reasonable precautions to prevent unauthorised access to your records, however they are stored. Any information that may identify you is only shared with the practice team, or, if you are referred to hospital, to the clinician who will be treating you. We will only share information about you with anyone else if you give your permission in writing.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practitioners 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 GDPR and The Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made in writing through the practice manager. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Practice Policies
All our practice policies are reviewed on a regular basis and will be updated when legislation dictates or circumstances change.
Our equality & diversity policies are reviewed annually
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 the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.
Click this link for more detail (opens in new window) Complaints Procedure
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.
ZERO POLICY
This practice operates a zero policy towards harassment and abuse of staff or patients, which includes (but not limited to) homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, ageism or harassment or abuse on basis of disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.