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, hospital services and other healthcare providers involved in your care
• 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 NHS England 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 you can opt out, for futher inforamtion please visit https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/opt-out-of-sharing-your-health-records/ 

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

Information about the General Practioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made in writing to the practice manager.

Access to Records

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager in writing giving full details of the inforamtion you would like a copy of. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

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.

Your complaint can be verbal but if possible we prefer to have this is writing to ensure we have the all the details to carry out a full investigation. Please address your complaint to the Practice Manager or email gcppractice.manager@nhs.net

We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to respond with 3 weeks, although in some cases this  may take longer but we will keep you informed of any delays.

If you are complaining on behalf of another patient, we will need their written consent before can be proceed as we have a duty of confidentiality to the patient.

From 1st July 2023 you can also complaint directly to the commisioners, who are Herts & West Essex ICB. They can be contacted by telephone 01992 566122 or emailing hweicbwe.patientfeedback@nhs.net or writing to HWE ICB Patient Experience Team, First Floor Kao Park 2, London Road, Harlow CM17 9NA. Please note NHS England will not be accpeting new complaints about GP practices.

A new leafet is available here  Complaints leaflet July 2023.docx or from reception.

If you need help making your complaint the Health Complaints Advocacy Service (HCAS) can help you, the local HCAS provide is POhWER Hertlands House, Primett Road, Stevenage SG1 3EE

Telephone: 0300 456 2370 (local Rate)       Email: pohwer@pohwer.net     Website: www.pohwer.net 

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.

Chaperone Policy

The surgery is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety and comfort of everyone is of paramount importance.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone can be a friend or family member. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present i.e. a trained member of staff (usually a nurse or a member of the admin team who has received the necessary training).

Wherever possible we would ask you to make this request when you book your appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed. Where this is not possible, we will endeavour to provide a formal chaperone at the time of the request. However, in this case it may occasionally be necessary to reschedule your appointment.

Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultation in accordance with our chaperone policy.

Online access

Please find our practice policy on online access:

GCP online access