Confidentiality

red_locked_file 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.

Freedom of Information

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt.

Model Publication Scheme - further information

Summary Care Record

A new Central NHS Computer System is coming soon, called the Summary Care Record (SCR). The Summary Care Record is meant to help emergency doctors and nurses help you when you contact them when the surgery is closed. Initially, it will contain just your medications and allergies.

Later on as the central NHS computer system develops, (known as the ‘Summary Care Record’ – SCR), other staff who work in the NHS will be able to access it along with information from hospitals, out of hours services, and specialists letters that may be added as well.

Your information will be extracted from practices such as ours and held on central NHS databases.

As with all new systems there are pros and cons to think about. When you speak to an emergency doctor you might overlook something that is important and if they have access to your medical record it might avoid mistakes or problems, although even then, you should be asked to give your consent each time a member of NHS Staff wishes to access your record, unless you are medically unable to do so.

On the other hand, you may have strong views about sharing your personal information and wish to keep your information at the level of this practice. Connecting for Health (CfH), the government agency responsible for the Summary Care Record have agreed with doctors’ leaders that new patients registering with this practice should be able to decide whether or not their information is uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System.

For existing patients it is different in that it is assumed that you want your record uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System unless you actively opt out.

For further information visit the Connecting for Health Website

If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery.

Download the opt out form >>>>

Comments & Complaints

We want to hear your comments, complaints and suggestions about the way we undertake our work. We need to know your views so that we can improve our services to benefit the whole community.

Who can complain?

Anyone who has received NHS treatment or services can make a complaint. If you are unable, or do not wish to make a complaint yourself, then a relative or a friend can make the complaint on your behalf, with your permission.

What can be investigated under the NHS Complaints Procedure?

You can make a complaint about any NHS treatment or service you have received or are receiving from the practice. The NHS Complaints Procedure does not apply to complaints about private treatment, services provided by Social Services or any events that are the subject of legal action.

Who should I complain to?

Staff in the surgery will be able to provide you with information about making a complaint. The quickest and simplest way is usually to speak to our Practice Manager Mrs Ann Kerr, or our Deputy Manager Mrs Angela Adams. Alternatively you can download the complaints form here: Complaints Form

The complaint will then be investigated and a response sent to you. This is the first stage of the NHS Complaints Procedure and is known as local resolution. If you would prefer not to make your complaint directly to the practice, or would like independant help and advice, you can contact The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT (0845 170 800) or the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) (01579 345193). Sometimes people worry that their care will suffer if they make a complaint. We want to make sure this never happens.

When should I complain?

Please try to make your complaint as soon as possible. There are time limits- normally 6 months after the event you are complaining about- although there are exceptions to this. If you are in doubt, confidential advice is available from the practice manager.

What will happen next?

The person you talk to or write to will try to find out what has happened and take any action that is necessary. They may need to talk to other staff, but they will be careful to ensure that any information about you is kept confidential. Your complaint will not be recorded in your medical notes.

If your complaint is made in writing, it should be acknowledged within two working days. Please put your telephone number on the letter if you are happy for us to contact you this way. This may help us to respond more quickly. We will aim to send you a full response within 10 days. If it is going to take longer to reply, we will advise you of any delay and agree a revised timescale with you.

What if I am unhappy with the Local Resolution?

If you are not happy with the action taken to try to resolve your complaint, please say so- we may be able to do more to help. If you still remain unhappy, you can ask the Healthcare Commission to review your case. This is the second stage of the NHS Complaints Procedure. You should do this within 6 months of the final reply you receive about your complaint.

The Healthcare Commission may agree to undertake an independent review of your complaint, but only if it is of the view that nothing further can be gained at local resolution and if a further investigation is likely to help in resolving your concerns.

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

Getting it right
Being customer focused
Being open and accountable
Acting fairly and proportionately
Putting things right
Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

stethoscopekeyboard A list of our charges for private services is available in reception.

Private work includes medicals, insurance claims and proposals, signing of certificates of various kinds including travel.

Please allow at least three working days for any simple forms to be processed.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.

So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.

PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.

What does PALS do?

In particular, PALS will:

Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry
Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally
Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.

Find out more

If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the standards it should strive to achieve , follow this link.