Practice Policies
GDPR
Practice Privacy Notice
Privacy Document For Patients
Type 1 opt out form
https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/
If you require this information in a different format or you need further information or assistance, please contact Tracey Bettany - Practice Manager or the practice Operations Manager.
Confidentiality
As a patient it is your right, with certain exceptions, to have all information regarding your health, whether kept on paper or on the computer, confidential – and to this end, all staff have a statement of confidentiality in their job contract in addition to a separate practice policy on confidentiality to ensure that the highest possible standards of confidentiality are maintained.
When you first register with a practice certain personal details, such as name, address, NHS number, and date of birth are passed to the Health Authority and to the NHS Central Register. This enables your medical record to be located and passed to your new practice. Although the Health Authority database holds information on childhood vaccinations and immunisations and cervical cytology no other clinical information is held either there or at the Central Register.
It is possible, however, that it may be necessary to share some information regarding your medical history with other health care professionals such as hospital consultants, to ensure you receive appropriate treatment. In addition, there are certain statutory requirements that require a practice to pass on information to the authorities, for example, notification of births or deaths, infectious diseases, and gunshot wounds.
Should you wish not to share your patient information with other NHS departments or healthcare providers, please advise a member of the reception team who will ensure this is recorded. Please pick up a patient leaflet from the surgery to find out more about how your information may be used for healthcare purposes.
In other cases, such as releasing medical records to solicitors when dealing with complaints or legal claims, information is only released with your written authority to do so.
If you do have any concerns regarding the confidentiality of your personal medical history or you would like further information, please do not hesitate to discuss this with your doctor or Practice Manager.
For more information go to www.dh.gov.uk, choose 'managing your organisation', then choose information policy then patient confidentiality, and access to health records.
Access to Medical Records
Any patient is entitled to seek access to his or her medical records. Requests must be made in writing and we will require identification before access or copies are provided.
If you would like further information please contact Tracey Bettany, Practice Manager on Tel 01630 672225.
Contact details for NHS North Staffordshire.
NHS North Staffordshire is party to the NHS contract held by this practice. Further details of primary medical services in this area may be obtained from them at the following address:
NHS North Staffordshire, Morston House, The Midway, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1QG
Tel: 0845 602 6772 Fax: 01782 663777
Complaints
Please see our Complaints and Concerns page
Violence Policy
Very occasionally a practice/patient relationship breaks down completely. In this situation, the patient may choose to register with a different practice. The practice also has the right to remove that patient from their list. This would generally only follow a warning that had failed to remedy the situation and we would normally give the patient a specific reason for the removal.
ZERO tolerance
The NHS operates a Zero Tolerance Policy with regard to violence, intimidating and/or manipulative behaviour and abuse. 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 are obliged to 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 circumstances leading to it. The PCT is then responsible for providing further medical care for such patients.
Patient Rights to General Medical Services
* To be offered a health check on joining a doctor's list for the first time.
* To have appropriate drugs and medicines prescribed.
* To be referred to a Consultant acceptable to them when they and their GP thinks it is necessary and to be referred for a second opinion if they and their GP think it is advisable.
* To have access to their health records, subject to any limitations of the law, and to know that those working for the NHS are under a legal duty to keep those records confidential.
* To choose whether to take part in research or medical student training.
* To receive a copy of their doctor's practice leaflet, setting out the services that he or she provides.
* To receive a full and prompt reply to any complaints made about the care they receive at Ashley Surgery.
Our aims are to offer the highest standard of health care and advice to our patients with the resources available to us, We have a team approach to patient care and endeavor to monitor the service provided to patients, to ensure that it meets current standards of excellence.
Freedom of Information Act
NHS freedom of information guide is available at www.foi.nhs.uk
Training & Education
We are accredited as a teaching practice in association with Keele University and at most times there will be a registrar in the practice. This is a fully qualified doctor who has been working in a hospital for a minimum of 3 years and possibly longer, who is working towards being a General Practitioner.
These are some points for your information:
Those doctors training to become GPs are known as GP Registrars. They are employed by a single lead employer.
The GP Registrar is a fully qualified doctor who is likely to have a lot of experience in hospital medicine.
Sometimes other doctors are also trained and supported in the practice. If you are seeing a Registrar, you can expect to receive the quality of service you would get from your own GP. If you have any concerns, please mention this to a member of staff.
In order for the Registrars to successfully complete their training, they need to be assessed on their consulting skills. This is done by the appointed assessors viewing a video of the registrars' consultations. You may be asked for your permission to have your consultation recorded in this way. If you agree, you will need to give your written permission by signing a consent form available at the reception desk, which will be offered to you. If the doctor appears to be recording your consultation and you have not signed a consent form, you should indicate this to him or her immediately. The recording will be used for educational purposes only. Further information about this process and the confidentiality of it, can be obtained from the reception staff.
To ensure that the practice continues to meet the standards of training in the Deanery, it and the doctors will be subject to regular inspection visits (normally every three years) At this inspection another doctor will assess the quality of the patient records. If you do not want your own record to be available for inspection, then please inform the practice of your wishes, and they will be respected. Please ask any member of the reception staff if further information is needed.
Medical students will also be attached to the practice on a regular basis. Reception may ask you as you book an appointment if you are happy to see one of these students. The students will always discuss each case with the doctor in the practice before making any decision on your care or management. You may request not to see this student if you so wish. Whilst we will always respect your wishes without question, please remember that all our GPs were also medical students once!
Please feel free to discuss any of these issues with us if you wish.
Disclaimer
Accuracy
This internet site has been developed with the intention of providing information only. Whilst all attempts will be made to maintain accuracy and validity, the Practice accepts no responsibility for events arising from the use of the information provided. Although the advice for patients is as comprehensive and accurate as possible, it is only general and should not be used as a substitute for the patient consulting their own doctor.
Availability
We cannot guarantee uninterrupted access to this website, or the sites to which it links. We accept no responsibility for any damages arising from the loss of use of this information.
Links
All links from this website are provided for information and convenience only. We cannot accept responsibility for sites linked to, or the information found there. A link does not imply an endorsement of a site; likewise, not linking to a particular site does not imply a lack of endorsement.
Medical Information on the Internet
If you use the Internet for medical information:
Always look for a balanced view - not just one site.
Remember that anyone can publish anything on the Internet.
Make sure the authors and their qualifications are listed.
Look at what other reliable information the site refers to.
Check that the site is regularly updated.
Look for advertising which might influence the information on the site.
Avoid online consultations or diagnoses.
Check on privacy and confidentiality.
Sites from outside the UK may mention treatments that are not available here.