Practice Policies & Patient Information
Complaints
Practice Complaints Procedure
Patient feedback is important to us as it helps us to improve the service we provide to patients. We take patient complaints seriously and will attempt to address your concerns to your satisfaction.
How do I make a complaint?
If you wish to complain please contact Practice Manager either in person, by phone or in writing:
Tel: 01159423386
Address: [email protected]
Online: Complaint form & Complaint leaflet
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, the practice needs to know that you have their permission to do so.
What Happens Next?
The complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days. The practice will respond, after investigation, within the timeframe specified to you at the acknowledgement stage of the process. Some complaints may take longer to address but you will be informed of a response time. If this cannot be met, the practice will keep you informed.
Please be assured making a complaint will not adversely affect your ongoing healthcare at the practice. We will deal with you fairly, compassionately and will endeavour to resolve the situation to a satisfactory conclusion.
Wherever possible, we aim to learn from complaints and take action to avoid similar occurrences.
How do I complain to someone Independent?
GP Practices would prefer to have the opportunity to answer complaints ourselves in the first instance. However, you may pass your complaint directly to:
Patient Experience Team
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board
Sir John Robinson House
Sir John Robinson Way
Arnold
Nottingham
NG5 6DA
Tel: 0115 8839570
Email: [email protected]
If you would like further information please follow the link to the ICB website: Patient Experience and Complaints – NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
Data Choices
Your Data Matters to the NHS
Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.
How your data is used
Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.
Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.
You have a choice
You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.
Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?
No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.
What do you need to do?
If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.
To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to make/change your opt-out choice visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters
GDPR
The Data protection regulations are changing on the 25th May 2018, with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018, to ensure that we are inline with these changes please see the updated documents below.
GP Net Earnings
The average pay for GP’s working at Dr O P Sharma’s Practice at Greenfields Medical Centre in the last financial year is between £30,000 and £40,000 before tax and National Insurance. This is for one full time GP and 1 locum GP who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.
All practices are required to declare the mean (average) earnings for GP’s working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
It should be noted that the prescribed method 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.
NHS Inform
NHS inform is Scotland’s national health information service, which is available on line and over the phone. The site includes an a-z of health conditions, Common health questions, Health Zones which provide more detailed information on topics like cancer, screening, mental health, bereavement palliative and more.
Health A – Z
Everything you need to know about illnesses, tests, treatments, operations and services. Find out more
Common Health Questions
Find answers to Common Health Questions. Not able to find what you are looking for? Ask a Health Information Advisor . Find out more
Support Service Directory
Information on Local and National groups & organisations that can help you with any health or well-being problem. Find out more
Changes for NHS Inform website for 2017
The website www.nhsinform.scot has been redesigned with the needs of people first and foremost, bringing a range of new content and features to help people manage their own health and wellbeing and to make positive choices. Visitors to the site can use the digital tools to tailor the information, making it more personal for each individual.
The site includes enhanced features to help make it more accessible and personal:
- Info for Me is a personalisation tool which enables people to bring together everything which is relevant to them into a single place, which can be easily shared, printed or saved.
- National Services Directory: all the health and social care information from across Scotland in one place, making it easier for you to get the right information about your local services.
- Self Help Guide: fully revised, updated and aligned to the 111 service the new Self Help Guide allows you to check your symptoms online and get advice to manage your condition or signpost to the right service.
- Browsealoud is a feature that makes the website more accessible with speech, reading and translation tools.
- Webchat access is available throughout the site.
People who choose to talk to the health information team can call the service on 0800 22 44 88 (8am-10pm) every day.
The enhanced search function means all relevant content will be presented easily and quickly.
People can use the website to interact with other users and professionals around specific conditions in community forums to support self-management.
Patient Guide to Services
It’s Your Practice: A patient guide to GP services has been put together by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) for patients.
This guide has been produced as part of the RCGP’s aim to build stronger relationships between you and your doctors and encourage the involvement and inclusion of you in your own care.
The guide provides helpful information on all aspects of using GP services: from finding and choosing a practice and how to get the most out of a GP consultation to accessing health records and understanding patients’ rights and responsibilities.
It is split into several sections including:
- General Practice explained
- Choosing the right practice for you
- Registering with a GP practice
- Seeing your GP – consultations
- Seeing your GP – the next steps
- After your GP consultation
- Your health record
- Your rights and responsibilities as a patient
- Get involved with your practice
The publication is part of a push by the NHS as a whole to encourage you to understand how you can get the most out of primary care – which also includes how you can become more involved in monitoring your own health.
Download A Patient Guide to GP Services
Practice Policies
The NHS Constitution
The NHS is there for us from the moment we are born. It takes care of us and our family members when we need it most.
The NHS Constitution has been created to protect the NHS and make sure it will always do the things it was set up to do in 1948 – to provide high-quality healthcare that’s free and for everyone.
No government can change the Constitution without the full involvement of staff, patients and the public. The Constitution is a promise that the NHS will always be there for you.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure.
It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give the best possible advice and care.
This information is only available to those involved in your care and you should never be asked for personal medical information by anyone not involved in your care.
You have a right to know what information we hold about you. If you would like to see your records, please call into the surgery where you will be asked to complete a request form (please note an admin fee may be payable).
Data Protection Act – Patient Information
Freedom of Information
The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt. 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. Such requests should be made through to the Practice Manager and may be subject to an administration charge.
Information will not be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice. We are aware however that things can go wrong and this can result in a patient feeling that they have a genuine reason for complaint.
If you feel you need to escalate a concern or grievance, please do get in touch with the Practice Manager who will deal with your concerns suitably. A complaints leaflet is available on request from our reception team. Patients do have a right to assistance with any complaint from:
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS)
The Care Quality Commission.
NHS Zero Tolerance Policy
The NHS operates a zero tolerance policy with respect 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.
Allocated GP
From 1st April 2015, all practices are required to allocate a named accountable GP to all patients. Our patients will be assigned a named GP and we can advise you of who this upon request. This will not in any way affect you accessing any member of our clinical team.
Chaperones
You can have a chaperone for any consultation, examination or procedure if you would like one. A chaperone can be a friend, family member or a trained healthcare professional such as a practice nurse. You do not have to accept a particular person offered to you as a chaperone. If you have asked for a chaperone but there is no-one immediately available you can re-schedule your appointment.
Privacy Notice
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
Text Message Reminders
You can now register to receive information by text message on your phone regarding appointments and health care.
If you wish to register for this messaging service please fill out the consent form.
New Data Protection Regulations from May 2018 (GDPR)
Under the new data protection regulations introduced from 25th May 2018, we will continue to contact patients via text messages regarding the delivery of care if they have provided consent to do so.
If practices are sending messages about recommended treatment for the management of a specific health issue, then this is defined as providing appropriate care for patients, not marketing purposes.
If you would like to opt out of any future contact via text messaging, then please complete the form and indicate in the marked section.