Practice Policies & Patient Information
Accessible Information Standard (AIS)
The Accessible Information Standard aims to make sure that disabled people have access to information that they can understand and any communication support they might need.
Should you have any requirements or know of a patient who needs support please let the Practice know and we will help provide support whether that is by providing information in large print or putting a patient in touch with British Sign Language (BSL), an interpreter, email or braille.
Below are some easy read leaflets that you might find useful:
www.easyhealth.org.uk is a website containing easy to read information leaflets on a wide variety of healthcare topics.
Further information about the AIS can be obtained on the NHS website www.england.nhs.uk/accessibleinfo
Charities including Action on Hearing Loss, CHANGE, Sense and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) will also be able to provide further support.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Practice if you have any question
Complaints
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.
Complaints and Comments Leaflet for Roman Way Medical Centre
Confidentiality & Medical Records
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
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. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
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.
GP Net Earnings
All GP Practices are required to declare mean earnings (i.e. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in the practice of Roman Way Medical Centre in the last financial year was £45,345 before tax and National Insurance.
This is for 2 full time GPs and 4 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
How we use your Health Records
Read/Download How we use your Health Records
More detailed information is available here: The NHS Care Record Guarantee
Statement of Intent
ELECTRONIC PATIENT RECORDS
STATEMENT OF INTENT FOR Romanway Medical Centre
Nationally the way GP records are managed in the NHS is changing in three important ways.
1. Summary Care Record (SCR)
2. GP to GP Record Transfers
3. Patient Online Access to Their GP Record
These changes do not let your records be shared outside of the team of professionals who look after you. They are designed to improve and speed up your care, and let you have more access to what is in your medical records.
If you want to find out more about these, or any other way in which your records are handled, please read the leaflets available in your practice or speak to a member of practice staff.
1. Patient Online Access to Their GP Record CLICK HERE
As you may know we already offer the facility for booking and cancelling appointments and also for ordering your repeat prescriptions on-line. Alongside this all patients in England will have access to their GP medical records online by 31st March 2015.
This means you can have secure online access to relevant parts (Current medications, immunisations and allergies) of your record from device that can access the internet.
To get online access to your records you will need to come to the practice with photographic ID. We will then give you the login details you will need.
2. Summary Care Record (SCR)
NHS England requires GP practices to upload any changes to patient’s summary information on their Summary Care Record by 31st March 2015.
A Summary Care Record (SCR) is a brief summary of your medical records that will help anyone treating you in an emergency who does not have your full medical record. The SCR contains information like any medicines you may be taking, or any allergies you have. Your SCR is automatically updated at least daily to ensure that your information is as up to date as it can possibly be.
You can find out more by watching “What is a Summary Care Record” here
You do not have to have a SCR if you do not want one. If you don’t, then let us know. You can do this by informing our reception team at the practice.
3. GP to GP Record Transfers
A new way of transferring patient records between GP practices has been developed to be used when a patient moves from one GP practice to another.
NHS England requires this new method to be used for all new or de-registered patients by 31 March 2015. However, we are already using this new method here at Romanway medical Centre.
For your own medical care it is very important that you are registered with a GP practice. If you leave your GP and register with a new GP, your medical records will be forwarded on to your new GP. It can take up to two weeks for your paper records to reach your new surgery.
With the new system your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.
Dr Shah& Partners confirm that these GP to GP transfers are already active and we send and receive patient records via this system.
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.
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.
Zero Tolerance Statement
Our staff come to work to care for others, and it is important for all
members of the public and our staff to be treated with respect.
We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect
our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way. We take
seriously any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour against any
of our staff or patients.
If a patient is violent or abusive, they will be asked to stop. If they
persist, we may exercise our right to take action to have them
removed, immediately if necessary, from our list of patients.
In line with the rest of the NHS, and to ensure this is fully observed
we have a Zero Tolerance policy, whereby aggressive or violent
behaviour towards our staff will not be tolerated under any
circumstances.
Anyone giving verbal abuse to members of staff will be sent a
letter from the Practice stating that this behaviour will not be
tolerated and may result in removal from the Practice patient list.
There will be no appeal process.
Any incident of threatening, abusive or violent behaviour may be
reported to the local Police Service as part of the NHS Zero
Tolerance campaign.
We hope that you will understand and welcome this Policy which is
in place for the best interests of our hard working staff as well as
all the patients we serve. Please note that any non-observance will
not be accepted.