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Policies and Complaints

 

Your Privacy

See Privacy Notice (PDF).

Confidentiality and Medical Records

The practice complies with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), 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. Our practice outsources our medical reporting work to an NHS Digital accredited company called MediData. MediData will be processing your medical report via eMR and providing online access via their secure encrypted portal. If you wish to contact MediData directly, please email mdmc@medi2data.com or call on 03333 055774.
  • 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

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 to the practice manager.

Access to Records

In accordance with GDPR, 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, using the access request form available below or from reception. Please return completed forms to the surgery or email to belvidere.ooh@nhs.net. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so. Access Request Form (PDF).

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 read the following first:

Then contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately via the Complaints Form (PDF).

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.

Infection Control Statement and Commitment to Cleanliness

Please see the following documents:

Sedative Prescribing for Fear of Flying

Please see the following document: