Confidentiality

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 by 1st January 2009.

Model Publication Scheme - further information

Comments & Suggestions

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 contact the practice manager and she will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available on the complaints procedure from reception.

We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.

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:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. 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.

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

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.

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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.

Our Responsibilities To You

We are committed to giving you the best possible service. This is best achieved by working together. Following discussion you will receive the most appropriate care given by suitably qualified people. There is an appointment system at the practice. You will be given a time at which the doctor or nurse hopes to see you and we will try to ensure that you are seen on time. Some consultations take longer than others and we have no way of knowing this in advance. If there is a patient with an emergency or a serious problem we will give them priority.

You will be treated as an individual and will be shown courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious belief, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. We will provide you with information about how to make suggestions or complaints about the care we provide and welcome your comments.

We will arrange for a member of the Primary Health Care Team to visit those patients who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery.

The practice will offer patients advice and information on:

• Steps they can take to promote good health and avoid illness;
• Immunisation;
• Disease management clinics which include asthma and diabetes.

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Patients’ Responsibilities To Us

Please remember to let us know if you change your name, address or telephonenumber. Please keep appointments and use the emergency appointments appropriately. Tell us as soon as possible if you are unable to keep your appointment so that we can offer it to someone else.

Please ask for home visits from the doctor only when the person is too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery. Home visits should be requested by 10.30am.

Please keep all phone calls brief and avoid calling during peak morning time for non-urgent matters.

We ask that you treat the doctors and practice staff with courtesy and respect at all times