GDPR / PRACTICE POLICIES
GDPR
The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation came into effect on 25th May 2018. As such, we wanted to let you know how our practice uses your data in compliance with this new legislation.
Your data, privacy and the law: how we use your medical records.
- This practice handles medical records according to the laws on data protection and confidentiality.
- We share medical records with health professionals who are involved in providing you with care and treatment. This is on a need to know basis and event by event.
- Some of your data is automatically copied to the Shared Care Summary Record.
- We do share some of your data with hospitals; local out of hours; emergency services; Liverpool CCG and other outside agencies when required.
- Data about you is used to manage national screening and vaccination campaigns such as seasonal flu; cervical cytology; breast screening and diabetes prevention.
- Data about you, usually de-identified, is used to manage the NHS and make payments.
- We share information when the law requires us to do so, for example: when we are inspected or reporting certain illnesses or safeguarding vulnerable people.
- Your data is used to check the quality of care provided by the NHS.
- We may also share medical records for medical research.
You can opt out of having your confidential patient information shared for reasons beyond their individual care, for example for research and planning. Follow the links below for more information and to opt out of national data sharing.
https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/
https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/national-data-opt-out
More detailed information on how we use your data in specific areas can be found in the following documents:
CQC (Care Quality Commission) GDPR Notice
Direct Patient Care GDPR Notice
Emergencies – GDPR Privacy Notice
Practice Payment Privacy Notice
Public Health Authorities Privacy Notice
Risk Stratification Privacy Notice
Screening Process Privacy Notice
Summary Care Record Privacy Statement
NHSBSA (NHS Business Services Authority) Privacy Notices (Website)
We are committed to giving you the best possible service. A satisfactory relationship between doctors and patients means that we have responsibilities to each other. Please help us to help you.
Confidentiality
The practice computer is registered under the Data Protection Act and strict confidentiality is maintained. All staff are bound by strict rules of confidentiality.
The Practice Aims To:
- treat you as an individual and give you courtesy and respect at all times
- ensure that you receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people
- give you full information about the service we offer
- ensure that people involved in your care will give you their names and inform you of how you can contact them
- ensure that surgery consultations will be readily available and a home visit will be offered to those patients who are too ill or infirm to be brought to the surgery
- endeavour to start consultations on time, but please appreciate that delay is sometimes inevitable and, when this happens, we will try to keep you informed
- consider any comments that you have to make on how we can improve the service that we offer
- try to answer the telephones promptly and ensure there are sufficient staff available to do this
- provide you with prompt and accurate information regarding test results
- offer you advice on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle
- offer advice on self-help in minor illnesses
- offer an efficient service with regard to repeat prescriptions
Patients Can Help By:
- treating the doctors and their staff with courtesy and respect
- following medical advice that you are offered and taking any medication as advised
- asking for an explanation if you do not understand any advice or treatment that is given to you
- informing us if you change your name, address or telephone number
- reading our practice booklet – it and this website will help you to get the best out of the services that we offer
- asking for medical attention in the evenings, at night and weekends only in a situation where the patient cannot be brought to the surgery within normal hours
- making requests for home visits before 10.00am and only in a situation where the patient cannot be brought to the surgery within normal hours
- doing your best to keep appointments and notifying us as soon as possible if you cannot attend
- endeavouring to be punctual; if you arrive later than your appointment time this may cause delays and inconvenience to other patients
- requesting more than one appointment, if you wish more than one patient to be seen
- keeping telephone calls as brief as possible and avoiding calling during peak morning for non-urgent matters
- cancelling any hospital appointments which have been made for you if you cannot attend – this will enable another patient to be fitted in.
Medical Records
Information from medical records is strictly confidential and will only be divulged with your written consent.
Your medical records are kept on a secure computer network and information is shared strictly on a need-to-know basis, only with Priory Medical Centre staff and other health professionals when necessary to ensure good quality patient care.
As we are a training practice, our standards are assessed every three years by external doctors and a small sample of medical records may be made available to them, in strict confidence, to aid assessment.
Zero Tolerance
We strongly support the NHS policy on zero tolerance. Anyone attending the surgery who abuses the GPs, staff or other patients be it verbally, physically or in any threatening manner whatsoever, will risk removal from the practice list. In extreme cases we may summon the police to remove offenders from the practice premises.
Freedom Of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available.
The Publication Scheme can viewed via the link here, and is also available from our surgery reception.
More information encompassing the Freedom of Information Act can also be found in our Access to Information Policy available here.
