Practice Policies & Patient Information
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 and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
The CQC makes sure that health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourages them to improve.
It monitors, inspects and regulates services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and publish what is found, including performance ratings to help people choose care.
The results of our most recent CQC inspection can be found here on the CQC website.
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 anonymous 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.
Equal Opportunities
EqualOpportunities/ Anti-Discrimination (SERVICE PROVISION) Policy
Introduction
The term ‘visitor’ used below refers to anyone (including patients and their family members,other visitors and contractors ) making use of the Practice’s premises and services (except employees for whom the Equal Opportunities/Anti-Discrimination (Employment) Policy [*] applies).
The Practice:
- will ensure that all visitors are treated with dignity and respect
- will promote equality of opportunity between men and women
- will not tolerate any discrimination or perceived discrimination against, or harassment of, any visitor for reason of age, sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief
- will provide the same treatment and services (including the ability to register with the Practice) to any visitor irrespective of age, sex, marital status, pregnancy,race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief
The practice actively promotes and supports the ethos and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
Applicability
This Policy applies to the general public, including all patients and their families, visitors and contractors.
Procedure
- Discrimination by the Practice or Visitors / patients against you. If you feel discriminated against:
- you should bring the matter to the attention of the Practice Manager
- the Practice Manager will investigate the matter thoroughly and confidentially within three working days
- the Practice Manager will then establish the facts and decide whether discrimination has taken place and advise you of the outcome of the investigation within ten working days
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should raise a formal complaint through the Practice’s Complaints Procedure.
- Discrimination against the Practice’s staff
The Practice will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment of our staff by any visitor. Any visitor, who expresses any form of discrimination against, or harassment of, any member of our staff, will be required to leave the Practice’s premises forthwith. If the visitor is a patient, he/she may be removed from the Practice’s list if any such behaviour occurs on more than one occasion.
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.
GDPR – Privacy Notice
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
What’s GDPR, in plain English?
It’s a chunk of rules that formed part of UK data privacy law on 25th May 2018. These rules set out how organisations can use information they collect about you, and they give you more control over this. You will have a whole extra set of legal rights around data protection. Basically, they’re a good thing for everyone.
What’s the deal?
Because…let’s face it, the world is changing. Headlines about data breaches and misuse are on the rise. These new risks need new systems to keep people and organisations safe. Regulations like GDPR are a leap in the right direction.
We know this stuff matters greatly to our patients, and it matters to us too.
We also know you probably won’t want to read through out full GDPR Privacy Policy – but it is here on our website and we encourage you to read it. In a nutshell: the updates are related to how we handle your data and what we can and can’t do with it.
The regulations came into force on 25th May 2018 and if you have any queries or questions, please contact our Data Protection Officer, Paul Couldrey, [email protected] who will be happy to help.
Our Data Security and Protection Policies
We have a range of policies and procedures (required by law) that relate to this topic – a full listing is shown below. These policies are updated regularly and copies are available upon request from the practice:
- 02-05-KRS – Sharing and Disclosure of Patient Information
- 06-02-KRS – Caldicott Protocol
- 06-06-KRS – Computer and Data Security Procedure
- 06-07-KRS – Confidentiality of Patient Data Policy
- 06-12-KRS – Electronic Transfer & GP to GP Transfer of Patient Data Procedure
- 06-20-KRS – Transfer of Patient Records Protocol
- 06-21-KRS – Covid 19 Policy
- 21-08-KRS – Third Party Confidentiality Agreement
- 21-11-KRS – Fax, Post, Mail Handling Protocol
GP Earnings
GMS Contractual Requirements – Net Earnings of Doctors
NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and the required disclosure is shown below.
However it should be noted that the method devised by NHS England for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.
All GP practices are required to declare the mean net earnings (eg. Average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice. This is required in the interests of the greater public accountability recognising GP pay is ultimately funded from tax paid by the public.
The average pay for GPs working in Keighley Road Surgery in the last financial year was £83,752 before tax and national insurance. This is for 1 full time and 5 part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
Summary Care Record
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I know if I have one?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP.
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.
More Information
For further information, visit the NHS Care records website.
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.