Confidentiality and Medical Records
Information Governance Policy 2021
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:
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 the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. These requests will be processed under a Subject Access Request.
Non Discriminatory Policy
This practice has an equal opportunities policy for patients. The aim is to ensure that
no patient receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin or disability. The practice will do its utmost to
ensure that all patients are treated fairly and the practice environment is free from discrimination and harassment. We can access the following services o your behalf, although prior management may be necessary:
- full disabled access
- interpretation and translation service
- sign language and/or lip reading surgeries
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.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Information about the General Practitioners 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.
Patient Privacy
It is the policy of this practice to respect the privacy and dignity of our patients. If you would like a chaperone to be present during a physical examination by a doctor or other health professional you may be consulting at the surgery or if you would prefer to be examined by a doctor or health professional of the same sex as yourself, please let us know and we will do our best to comply with your wishes.
Videotaping of consultations
On occasions there will be videotaping of patient’s consultations. Recordings will not be undertaken without the patient’s consent and intimate physical examinations will not be recorded. The camera will be switched off on request.
Medical students
On occasions, medical students are attached to the surgery as part of their training. On arrival, you will be advised of the situation by reception and you will be given the opportunity to accept or refuse their presence during your consultation. We thank you for your co-operation during these times.