Practice Policies

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.

Duty of Candour

We share a common purpose with our partners in health and social care – and that is to provide high quality care and ensure the best possible outcomes for the people who use our services. Promoting improvement is at the heart of what we do. We know that we deliver exceptional care on a daily basis but sometimes things go wrong and it’s how we deal with these incidents that is important.

Duty of Candour information leaflet, easy read, October 2018

Duty of Candour, leaflet for relevant person, easy read, October 2018

If you require further information concerning our Duty of Candour procedures please contact the Practice or click the link below for Scottish Government information: https://www.gov.scot/policies/healthcare-standards/duty-of-candour/

Consent

Here is a paragraph explaining a consent policy to a patient at a GP practice:

As part of ensuring you receive the best possible care, our practice adheres to strict consent policies regarding your medical treatment. Before any procedure or intervention, your doctor will explain it to you clearly, outlining the benefits, risks, and alternatives. You’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. We require your informed consent, which means you understand the nature of the procedure and agree to it voluntarily, without coercion. You have the right to refuse any part of your care. For certain complex treatments, we may ask you to sign a consent form, but for routine care, your verbal consent is sufficient. Your consent is an ongoing process that you can withdraw at any time during your care. Our goal is to involve you as the key decision maker about your health.

In Scotland, a child of 12 or more is presumed to be of sufficient age and maturity to form a view, although it is important to remember that this presumption is only a starting point and that each child must be assessed as an individual to determine whether or not they have capacity.

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.

To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately.

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.