Non-urgent advice:

Please see our key statement indicators below that reflect the ethos of our Practice philosophy:

– Quality patient care is our key driving motivation
– The guiding working principle is ‘do today’s work today’
– Consider patients’ requests from their perspective
– We will work collaboratively with other agencies in our locality
– We will seek to be flexible in working arrangements
– We use first names in communicating with all our staff
– Staff views will always be considered / respected
– Staff should be encouraged and supported to develop skills useful for the Practice

Access for Others and Subject Access Requests

Consent to Share Information
Choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning

Giving someone power of attorney
Information and guidance about power of attorney

Subject Access Requests

A request by a patient, or a request by a third party who has been authorised by the patient, for access under the GDPR (and DPA 2018) is called a Subject Access Request (SAR). If you want to see your health records, or wish a copy, please complete a Practice Subject Access Request Form which you can complete online or please contact the Practice and we will provide you with our paper format. Contact will, subsequently, be made by the Practice to arrange a time for you to come in and collect or read them. You don’t have to give a reason for wanting to see your records and there is no charge for this service. You will however be required to produce proof of identity before being allowed to read them.

The Practice has up to 28 days to respond to your request. If additional information is needed before copies can be supplied, the 28-day time limit will begin as soon as the additional information has been received.

The 28 day time limit can be extended for two months for complex or numerous requests where the data controller (usually your Practice) needs more time to collate and supply the data. You will be informed about this within 28 days and provided with an explanation of why the extension is necessary.

When writing/calling, you should say if you:

want a copy of your healthcare records as well as to see them (if you wish to see them your Doctor or member of staff will be present to assist you and explain any medical terms to you)
want all or just part of them
would like your records to be given to you in a specific format that meets your needs, and we will endeavour to accommodate your request
If you request your records to be emailed, then we will secure you or your representative’s agreement (in writing or by email) that they accept the risk of sending unencrypted information to a non-NHS email address

You may also need to fill in an Application Form and give proof of your identity. The Practice has an obligation under the GDPR and DPA2018 to ensure that any information provided for the patient can be verified.

Please note we never send original medical records because of the potential detriment to patient care should these be lost

Who may apply for access?

1(1) Patients with capacity

Subject to the exemptions listed in paragraph 1(6) (below) patients with capacity have a right to access their own health records via a SAR. You may also authorise a third party such as a Solicitor to do so on your behalf. Competent young people may also seek access to their own records. It is not necessary for them to give reasons as to why they wish to access their records.

1(2) Children and young people under 18

Where a child is competent, they are entitled to make or consent to a SAR to access their record.

Children aged over 16 years are presumed to be competent. Children under 16 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must demonstrate that they have sufficient understanding of what is proposed in order to be entitled to make or consent to an SAR.However, children who are aged 12 or over are generally expected to have the competence to give or withhold their consent to the release of information from their health records. In Scotland, anyone aged 12 or over is legally presumed to have such competence. Where, in the view of the appropriate health professional, a child lacks competency to understand the nature of his or her SAR application, the holder of the record is entitled to refuse to comply with the SAR. Where a child is considered capable of making decisions about access to his or her medical record, the consent of the child must be sought before a parent or other third party can be given access via a SAR (see paragraph 1 (3) below)

1(3) Next of kin

Despite the widespread use of the phrase ‘next of kin’, this is not defined, nor does it have formal legal status. A next of kin cannot give or withhold their consent to the sharing of information on a patient’s behalf. As next of kin they have no rights of access to medical records. For parental rights of access, see the information above.

1(4) Solicitors

You can authorise a Solicitor acting on your behalf to make a SAR. We must have your written consent before releasing your medical records to your acting Solicitors. The consent must cover the nature and extent of the information to be disclosed under the SAR (for example, past medical history), and who might have access to it as part of the legal proceedings. Where there is any doubt, we may contact you before disclosing the information. (England and Wales only – should you refuse, your Solicitor may apply for a court order requiring disclosure of the information. A standard consent form has been issued by the BMA and the Law Society of England and Wales. While it is not compulsory for Solicitors to use the form, it is hoped it will improve the process of seeking consent).

The Practice may also contact you to let you know when your medical records are ready. If your Solicitor is based within our area, then we may ask you to uplift them and deliver them to your Solicitor. This is because we can no longer charge for copying and postage, so we would appreciate your help if you can do this, or alternatively ask your Solicitor if they can uplift your medical records.

1(5) Supplementary Information under SAR requests

The purposes for processing data

The purpose for which data is processed is for the delivery of healthcare to individual patients. In addition, the data is also processed for other non-direct healthcare purposes such as medical research, public health or health planning purposes when the law allows.

The categories of personal data

The category of your personal data is healthcare data.

The organisations with which the data has been shared

Your health records are shared with the appropriate organisations which are involved in the provision of healthcare and treatment to the individual. Other organisations will receive your confidential health information, for example Digital or the Scottish Primary Care Information Resource (SPIRE) or research bodies such as the Secure Anonymised Linkage Databank (SAIL). (This information is already available to patients in our Practice privacy notices).

The existence of rights to have inaccurate data corrected and any rights of objection

For example, a national ‘opt-out’ model such as SPIRE etc.

Any automated decision including the significance and envisaged consequences for the data subject

For example, risk stratification.

The right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

1(6) Information that should not be disclosed

The GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 provides for a number of exemptions in respect of information falling within the scope of a SAR. If we are unable to disclose information to you, we will inform you and discuss this with you.

1(7) Individuals on behalf of adults who lack capacity

Both the Mental Capacity Act in England and Wales and the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act contain powers to nominate individuals to make health and welfare decisions on behalf of incapacitated adults. The Court of Protection in England and Wales, and the Sheriff’s Court in Scotland, can also appoint Deputies to do so. This may entail giving access to relevant parts of the incapacitated person’s medical record, unless health professionals can demonstrate that it would not be in the patient’s best interests. These individuals can also be asked to consent to requests for access to records from third parties.

Where there are no nominated individuals, requests for access to information relating to incapacitated adults should be granted if it is in the best interests of the patient. In all cases, only information relevant to the purposes for which it is requested should be provided.

1(8) Deceased records

The law allows you to see records of a patient that has died as long as they were made after 1st November 1991.

Records are usually only kept for three years after death (in England and Wales GP records are generally retained for 10 years after the patient’s death before they are destroyed).

Who can access deceased records?

You can only see that person’s records if you are their personal representative, administrator or executor.

You won’t be able to see the records of someone who made it clear that they didn’t want other people to see their records after their death.

Accessing deceased records

Before you get access to these records, you may be asked for:

proof of your identity
proof of your relationship to the person who has died

Viewing deceased records

You won’t be able to see information that could:

cause serious harm to your or someone else’s physical or mental health
identify another person (except members of NHS staff who have treated the patient), unless that person gives their permission
If you have a claim as a result of that person’s death, you can only see information that is relevant to the claim.

1(9) Hospital Records

To see your Hospital records, you will have to contact your local Hospital.

1(10) Power of attorney

Your health records are confidential, and members of your family are not allowed to see them, unless you give them written permission, or they have power of attorney.

A lasting power of attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone to make decisions for you, should you become incapable of making decisions yourself.

The person you appoint is known as your attorney. An attorney can make decisions about your finances, property, and welfare. It is very important that you trust the person you appoint so that they do not abuse their responsibility. A legal power of attorney must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.

If you wish to see the health records of someone who has died, you will have to apply under the Access to Medical Records Act 1990. You can only apply if you:

are that person’s next of kin, are their legal executor (the person named in a will who is in charge of dealing with the property and finances of the deceased person),
have the permission of the next of kin or have obtained written permission from the deceased person before they died.
To access the records of a deceased person, you must go through the same process as a living patient. This means either contacting the Practice or the Hospital where the records are stored.

If you think that information in your health records is incorrect, or you need to update your personal details (name, address, phone number), approach the relevant health professional informally and ask to have the record amended. Some Hospitals and GP Surgeries have online forms for updating your details. If this doesn’t work, you can formally request that the information be amended under the NHS complaints procedure.

All NHS trusts, NHS England, CCGs, GPs, Dentists, Opticians and Pharmacists have a complaints procedure. If you want to make a complaint, go to the organisation concerned and ask for a copy of their complaints procedure.

Alternatively, you can complain to the Information Commissioner (the person responsible for regulating and enforcing the Data Protection Act), at:

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545745

If your request to have your records amended is refused, the record holder must attach a statement of your views to the record.

Requesting Access

You will appreciate that health data relating to any individual is highly confidential and the Practice must ensure that it releases such data only to the person to whom it relates, or to a person authorised to act on his or her behalf. If you require to see any health data, please complete this online Request Form as fully and accurately as possible to enable us to locate the exact information you require.

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) gives you the statutory right of access to any information, manual (paper) or computerised. You may wish to authorise someone else to make your application on your behalf and if you have parental responsibilities you may make an application to see your child’s notes.

You do not have to give a reason for applying for access to your General Practice records. If you do not need access to your entire records, it would be helpful if you would inform us of the periods and area of your health records that you require, along with details which you feel may have relevance (e.g. clinic type, location, dates).

Timescale

The Practice will deal with your request as quickly as possible. The information should be available to you within 28 days of receipt of your accurately completed form and confirmation of consent. Under certain circumstances, this period can be extended to 3 months but we will keep you informed of the progress of your request during this extended period.

Fees

We will not make a charge for the first request for access to your medical records. We may, however, charge for subsequent requests or if we deem that the volume of information requested is excessive. You have the right to simply view your records (i.e. not receive a copy in a permanent form); information on how to arrange this is detailed below.

Proof of identity

Two forms of identity must be provided (one of which must be photographic). This is to ensure information is not released to unauthorised individuals. The table below outlines the proof of identity we can accept.

TYPE OF APPLICATION	IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED
Patient applying for their own Can be waived if the applicant is known to the Staff Member accepting the request	One which must be photographic i.e. passport. One containing individuals name and address
Third Party Applying. Consent of Patient will be required BEFORE* the request will be* processed	One containing Third Party name and address One must be Photographic ID of Third Party
Applying on behalf of a child We will ALWAYS* obtain consent for release of* records from a child age 13+ to <16 if a third party is making request	One which must be Child’s birth certificate Photographic ID of person with parental rights

If you are completing this application on behalf of another person, the Practice will require their authorisation before we can release the data to you. The person whose information is being requested should sign the relevant section within the form. If the patient is a child (i.e. under 16 years of age) the application may be made by someone with parental responsibilities – in most cases this means a parent or guardian. If the child is capable of understanding the nature of the application, his or her consent should be obtained or, alternatively, the child may submit an application on their own behalf. Children will, generally, be presumed to understand the nature of the application if aged between 13 and 16 however, all cases will be considered individually.

Download the SAR access form here.

Care Data

NHS England is currently involved in developing a modern information system, to help improve health services.

To discover how information about you helps us to provide better care you can visit the NHS England website or download the leaflets shown below.

Health and Social Care Act 2012

Collection of your personal data under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Health and Social Care Information

Frequently asked questions for patients

Chaperones Policy

Our Practice is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times; the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

All medical consultations, examinations and investigations are potentially distressing. Patients can find examinations, investigations or photography involving the breasts, genitalia or rectum particularly intrusive (these examinations are collectively referred to as ‘intimate examinations’). Consultations involving dimmed lights, the need for patients to undress or intensive periods of being touched may also make a patient feel vulnerable.

Chaperoning is the process of having a third person present during such consultations to provide support, both emotional and sometimes physical, to the patient, to provide practical support to the Doctor as required, and also to protect the Doctor against allegations of improper behaviour during such consultations.

Introduction

This Policy is designed to protect both patients and staff from abuse or allegations of abuse, and to assist patients in making an informed choice about their examinations and consultations.

Guidelines

Clinicians (male and female) will consider whether an intimate or personal examination of the patient (either male or female) is justified, or whether the nature of the consultation poses a risk of misunderstanding.

The Clinician will give the patient a clear explanation of what the examination will involve
They will always adopt a professional and considerate manner and be careful with humour as a way of relaxing a nervous situation, as it can easily be misinterpreted
The patient will always be provided with adequate privacy to undress and dress
A suitable sign will be clearly on display in each Consulting or Treatment Room offering the Chaperone Service.

The above guidelines are to remove the potential for misunderstanding. However, there will still be times when either the Clinician, or the patient, feels uncomfortable, and it would then be appropriate to consider using a Chaperone.

Patients who request a Chaperone will never be examined without a Chaperone being present. If necessary, where a Chaperone is not available, the consultation/examination will be rearranged for a mutually convenient time when a Chaperone can be present.

Complaints and claims have not been limited to Doctors treating/examining patients of the opposite gender – there are many examples of alleged assault by female and male doctors on people of the same gender.

Consideration will always be given by staff to the possibility of a malicious accusation by a patient, and a Chaperone organised if there is any potential for this.

There may be occasions when a Chaperone is needed for a home visit in which case the following procedure will be followed.

Who can act as a Chaperone?

A variety of people can act as a Chaperone in the practice, but staff undertaking a formal Chaperone role will have been trained in the competencies required. Where possible, Chaperones will be clinical staff familiar with procedural aspects of personal examination.

Where the Practice determines that non-clinical staff will act in this capacity, the patient will be asked to agree to the presence of a non-Clinician in the examination, and for confirmation that they are at ease with this. The staff member will be trained in the procedural aspects of personal examinations, be comfortable acting in the role of Chaperone, and be confident in the scope and extent of their role. They will also have received instruction on where to sit/stand and what to watch and listen for. A Chaperone will document in the patient notes that they were present, and detail any issues arising.

Confidentiality

The Chaperone will only be present for the examination itself, with most of the discussion with the patient taking place while the Chaperone is not present.
Patients are reassured that all Practice staff understand their responsibility not to divulge confidential information.

Procedure

The Clinician will contact reception to request a Chaperone
Where no Chaperone is available, a Clinician may offer to delay the examination to a date when one will be available, as long as the delay would not have an adverse effect on the patient’s health
If a Clinician wishes to conduct an examination with a Chaperone present but the patient does not agree to this, the Clinician will explain clearly why they want a Chaperone to be present. The Clinician may choose to consider referring the patient to a colleague who would be willing to examine them without a Chaperone, as long as the delay would not have an adverse effect on the patient’s health
The Clinician will record in the notes that the Chaperone is present, and identify the Chaperone
The Chaperone will enter the room discreetly and remain in the room until the Clinician has finished the examination
A Chaperone will attend inside the curtain/screened-off area at the head of the examination couch and observe the procedure
To prevent embarrassment, the Chaperone will not enter into conversation with the patient or GP unless requested to do so, or make any mention of the consultation afterwards
The Chaperone will make a record in the patient’s notes after examination. The record will either state that there were no problems, or give details of any concerns or incidents that occurred. The Chaperone must be aware of the procedure to follow if any concerns require to be raised
The patient can refuse a Chaperone, and if so this must be recorded in the patient’s medical record.

Children’s Privacy Policy

Clinical Research

Clinical Trials help Doctors understand how to treat a particular disease or condition. It may benefit you, or others like you, in the future.

If you take part in a Clinical Trial, you may be one of the first people to benefit from a new treatment.

However, if you do take part you should also be aware that there is a chance that the new treatment turns out to be no better, or worse, than the existing standard treatment.

Complaints Policy

There are two ways you can make a complaint:

You can make a complaint about the service you received at our practice directly to us. To do this please contact reception who will be able to assist you with your complaint.
You can complain to the commissioner of the service: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received.

After 1 July 2023 if you want to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner you will now contact the Black Country Integrated Care Board instead of NHS England.

You can do this by:

Telephone: 0300 0120 281
Email: [email protected]
Writing to us at: Time2Talk, NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SH

If you want to make a complaint directly to the provider of the primary care service, you still can – that does not change on the 1 July 2023.

Please see the Black Country ICB Compliments, concerns and complaints leaflet here.

Ongoing complaints
If you have an ongoing complaint placed on or after 1 July 2022, you will receive a letter from NHS England informing you that the Black Country ICB is now handling your complaint, this will include confirmation of your case handler.

If you have an ongoing complaint placed before 1 July 2022, you will receive a letter from NHS England informing you that your complaint is being retained by NHS England, this will include confirmation of your case handler.

What information will be needed to make my complaint?

Your name, address, telephone number and an email address (if available), and
the same details if you are complaining on behalf of someone else.
The date of birth and NHS number (if known), for the person the complaint
relates to.
Tell us what happened and when.
Where did this happen?
A list of things that you are complaining about.
What changes are needed to improve experiences in the future.

In General

If you have a complaint to make, you can either contact the Practice Manager or ask the Receptionist for a copy of our Complaints Procedure. We will endeavour to:

acknowledge any letter or Complaints Form within 3 working days of receiving it.
deal with the matter as promptly as possible – usually within 20 working days – dependent on the nature of the complaint.

Who can complain

Complainants may be current or former patients, or their nominated or elected representatives (who have been given consent to act on the patients behalf).
Patients over the age of 16 whose mental capacity is unimpaired should normally complain themselves or authorise someone to bring a complaint on their behalf.
Children under the age of 16 can also make their own complaint, if they’re able to do so.

If a patient lacks capacity to make decisions, their representative must be able to demonstrate sufficient interest in the patient’s welfare and be an appropriate person to act on their behalf. This could be a partner, relative or someone appointed under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 with lasting power of attorney.

Appropriate person

In certain circumstances, we need to check that a representative is the appropriate person to make a complaint.

For example, if the complaint involves a child, we must satisfy ourselves that there are reasonable grounds for the representative to complain, rather than the child concerned.
If the patient is a child or a patient who lacks capacity, we must also be satisfied that the representative is acting in the patient’s best interests.

If we are not satisfied that the representative is an appropriate person we will not consider the complaint, and will give the representative the reasons for our decision in writing.

Time limits

A complaint must be made within 12 months, either from the date of the incident or from when the complainant first knew about it.

The regulations state that a responsible body should only consider a complaint after this time limit if:

the complainant has good reason for doing so, and
it’s still possible to investigate the complaint fairly and effectively, despite the delay.

Procedure

We have a two stage complaints procedure. We will always try to deal with your complaint quickly however if it is clear that the matter will need a detailed investigation, we will notify you and then keep you updated on our progress.

Stage one – Early, local resolution

We will try to resolve your complaint within five working days if possible.
If you are dissatisfied with our response, you can ask us to escalate your complaint to Stage Two.

Stage Two – Investigation

We will look at your complaint at this stage if you are dissatisfied with our response at Stage One.
We also escalate some complaints straight to this stage, if it is clear that they are complex or need detailed investigation.
We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and we will give you our decision as soon as possible. This will be no more that 20 working days unless there is clearly a good reason for needing more time to respond.

Complain to the Ombudsman

If, after receiving our final decision, you remain dissatisfied you may take your complaint to the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and free to use. It can help resolve your complaint, and tell the NHS how to put things right if it has got them wrong.

They can review the way in which your complaint has been handled, but you will need to contact the Ombudsman about your case within 12 months of the final local outcome of your complaint.

Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0345 015 4033
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

Confidentiality

All complaints will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Where the investigation of the complaint requires consideration of the patient’s medical records, we will inform the patient or person acting on his/her behalf if the investigation will involve disclosure of information contained in those records to a person other than the Practice or an employee of the Practice.

We keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints, but such records will be kept separate from patients’ medical records.

Statistics and reporting

The Practice must submit to the local primary care organisation periodically/at agreed intervals details of the number of complaints received and actioned.

View our complaints leaflet here.

Confidentiality Policy

You have a right to know who holds personal information about you. This person or organisation is called the Data Controller. In the NHS, the Data Controller is usually your local NHS Health Authority and/or your GP Surgery. The NHS must keep your personal health information confidential. It is your right.

Please be aware that our staff are bound to the NHS code of confidentiality; they are therefore not permitted to discuss any of our patient’s medical history, including their registration status, without their written consent to do so.

Once written consent has been received and verified with the patient we can provide you with information as required; this includes communicating with you on behalf of the patient with regards to any complaints, but excludes patients who are unable to act on their own behalf and already have a designated person or carer responsible for their medical care.

We therefore respectfully ask parents, relatives and guardians not to request information regarding their relatives/friends or to complain on their behalf unless we have their written consent that you may do so. If consent is required we advise that the person concerned attends the Practice to complete the required form.

Consent Protocol

Consent to treatment is the principle that a person must give permission before they receive any type of medical treatment, test or examination and is generally requested on the basis that an explanation of the required treatment, test or procedure has been received from a Clinician.

Consent from a patient is needed regardless of the procedure, whether it’s a physical examination, organ donation or something else.

The principle of consent is an important part of medical ethics and international human rights law.

Defining consent

For consent to be valid, it must be voluntary and informed, and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision.

These terms are explained below:

voluntary– the decision to either consent or not to consent to treatment must be made by the person themselves, and must not be influenced by pressure from medical staff, friends or family
informed– the person must be given all of the information in terms of what the treatment involves, including the benefits and risks, whether there are reasonable alternative treatments, and what will happen if treatment doesn’t go ahead
capacity– the person must be capable of giving consent, which means they understand the information given to them and they can use it to make an informed decision

If an adult has the capacity to make a voluntary and informed decision to consent to or refuse a particular treatment, their decision must be respected.This is still the case even if refusing treatment would result in their death, or the death of their unborn child.

If a person doesn’t have the capacity to make a decision about their treatment, the Healthcare Professionals treating them can go ahead and give treatment if they believe it’s in the person’s best interests.

Clinicians must however take reasonable steps to seek advice from the patient’s friends or relatives before making these decisions.

How consent is given

Consent can be given:

verbally– for example, by saying you are happy to have an X-ray
in writing– for example, by signing a Consent Form for surgery to be performed

Someone could also give non-verbal consent, as long as they understand the treatment or examination about to take place – for example, holding out an arm for a blood test.

Consent should be given to the Healthcare Professional directly responsible for the person’s current treatment, such as:

a Nurse arranging a blood test
a GP prescribing new medication
a Surgeon planning an operation

If someone is going to have a major medical procedure such as an operation, their consent should ideally be secured plenty of time in advance, so that they have time to obtain information about the procedure and ask questions.

If a paitent changes their mind at any point before the procedure, they are entitled to withdraw their previous consent.

Consent from children and young people

If they’re able to, consent is usually given by patients themselves. However, someone with parental responsibility may need to give consent for a child up to the age of 16 to have treatment.

When consent isn’t needed

There are a few exceptions when treatment may be able to go ahead without the person’s consent, even if they’re capable of giving their permission.

It may not be necessary to obtain consent if a person:

requires emergency treatment to save their life, but they’re incapacitated (for example, they’re unconscious) – the reasons why treatment was necessary should be fully explained once they’ve recovered
immediately requires an additional emergency procedure during an operation – there has to be a clear medical reason why it would be unsafe to wait to obtain consent, and it can’t be simply for convenience
with a severe mental health condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or dementia, lacks the capacity to consent to the treatment of their mental health (under the Mental Health Act 1983) – in these cases, treatment for unrelated physical conditions still requires consent, which the patient may be able to provide, despite their mental illness
requires Hospital treatment for a severe mental health condition, but self-harmed or attempted suicide while competent and is refusing treatment (under the Mental Health Act 1983) – the person’s nearest relative or an approved Social Worker must make an application for the person to be forcibly kept in Hospital, and two Doctors must assess the person’s condition
is a risk to public health as a result of rabies, cholera or tuberculosis (TB)
is severely ill and living in unhygienic conditions (under the National Assistance Act 1948) – a person who is severely ill or infirm and is living in unsanitary conditions can be taken to a place of care without their consent

Consent and life-sustaining treatments

A person may be being kept alive with supportive treatments – such as lung ventilation – without having made an advance decision based on information which outlined the care that they may have refused to receive.

In these cases, a decision about continuing or stopping treatment needs to be made based on what that person’s best interests are believed to be.

To help reach a decision, the Healthcare Professionals responsible for the person’s care should discuss the issue with the relatives and friends of the person receiving the treatment.

They should consider, among other things:

what the person’s quality of life will be if treatment is continued
how long the person may live if treatment is continued
whether there’s any chance of the person recovering

Treatment can be withdrawn if there’s an agreement that continuing treatment isn’t in the person’s best interests.

The case will be referred to the Courts before further action is taken if:

an agreement can’t be reached
a decision has to be made on whether to withdraw treatment from someone who has been in a state of impaired consciousness for a long time (usually at least 12 months)

It’s important to note the difference between withdrawing a person’s life support and taking a deliberate action to make them die. For example, injecting a lethal drug would illegal.

Complaints

If you believe you’ve received treatment you didn’t consent to, you can make an official complaint, please write to the Practice Manager, who will assist you with this process.

NHS England Consent – Further information

Data Protection Privacy Notice for Patients

General Practice Data for Planning and Research: GP Practice Privacy Notice – NHS Digital

How and why general practice shares your data with NHS Digital for planning and research.

Click here for more information

Introduction

This privacy notice lets you know what happens to any personal data that you give to us, or any information that we may collect from you or about you from other organisations.

This privacy notice applies to personal information processed by or on behalf of the practice.

This Notice explains

Who we are and how we use your information
Information about our Data Protection Officer
What kinds of personal information about you we hold and use (process)
The legal grounds for our processing of your personal information (including when we share it with others)
What should you do if your personal information changes?
For how long your personal information is retained / stored by us?
What are your rights under Data Protection laws

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) became law on 25th May 2018. The GDPR is a single EU-wide regulation on the protection of confidential and sensitive (special) information, the DPA 2018 deals with elements of UK law that differ from the European Regulation, both came into force in the UK on the 25th May 2018, repealing the previous Data Protection Act (1998).

For the purpose of applicable data protection legislation (including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (the “GDPR”), and the Data Protection Act 2018 the practice responsible for your personal data is [Practice Name].

This Notice describes how we collect, use and process your personal data, and how in doing so, we comply with our legal obligations to you. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to protecting and safeguarding your data privacy rights.

How we use your information and the law.

Darlaston Family Practice will be what’s known as the ‘Controller’ of your personal data.

We collect basic personal data about you and location-based information. This does include name, address and contact details such as email and mobile number etc.

We will also collect sensitive confidential data known as “special category personal data”, in the form of health information, religious belief (if required in a healthcare setting) ethnicity and sex life information that are linked to your healthcare, we may also receive this information about you from other health providers or third parties.

Why do we need your information?

The health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously. These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare and treatment.

NHS health records may be electronic, paper-based or a mixture of both. We use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure.

Records about you may include the following information;

Details about you, such as your address, your carer or legal representative and emergency contact details.
Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency appointments.
Notes and reports about your health.
Details about your treatment and care.
Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays etc.
Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you.
Contact details (including email address, mobile telephone number and home telephone number)

To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive, including contacting you. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public and to help us manage the NHS and the services we provide. Limited information may be used within the GP practice for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service we provided.

How do we lawfully use your data?

We need your personal, sensitive and confidential data in order to provide you with healthcare services as a General Practice, under the General Data Protection Regulation we will be lawfully using your information in accordance with: –

Article 6, e) processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;”

Article 9, (h) processing is necessary for the purposes of preventive or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems

This Privacy Notice applies to the personal data of our patients and the data you have given us about your carers/family members.

We use your personal and healthcare information in the following ways:

when we need to speak to, or contact other doctors, consultants, nurses or any other medical/healthcare professional or organisation during the course of your diagnosis or treatment or on going healthcare;

when we are required by law to hand over your information to any other organisation, such as the police, by court order, solicitors, or immigration enforcement.

We will never pass on your personal information to anyone else who does not need it, or has no right to it, unless you give us consent to do so.

Legal justification for collecting and using your information

The law says we need a legal basis to handle your personal and healthcare information.

Contract: We have a contract with NHS England to deliver healthcare services to you. This contract provides that we are under a legal obligation to ensure that we deliver medical and healthcare services to the public.

Consent: Sometimes we also rely on the fact that you give us consent to use your personal and healthcare information so that we can take care of your healthcare needs.

Please note that you have the right to withdraw consent at any time if you no longer wish to receive services from us.

Necessary care: Providing you with the appropriate healthcare, where necessary. The Law refers to this as ‘protecting your vital interests’ where you may be in a position not to be able to consent.

Law: Sometimes the law obliges us to provide your information to an organisation (see above).

Special categories

The law states that personal information about your health falls into a special category of information because it is very sensitive. Reasons that may entitle us to use and process your information may be as follows:

Public Interest: Where we may need to handle your personal information when it is considered to be in the public interest. For example, when there is an outbreak of a specific disease and we need to contact you for treatment, or we need to pass your information to relevant organisations to ensure you receive advice and/or treatment

Consent: When you have given us consent

Vital Interest: If you are incapable of giving consent, and we have to use your information to protect your vital interests (eg if you have had an accident and you need emergency treatment)

Defending a claim: If we need your information to defend a legal claim against us by you, or by another party

Providing you with medical care: Where we need your information to provide you with medical and healthcare services

Risk Stratification

Risk stratification data tools are increasingly being used in the NHS to help determine a person’s risk of suffering a condition, preventing an unplanned or (re)admission and identifying a need for preventive intervention. Information about you is collected from several sources including NHS Trusts and from this GP Practice. The identifying parts of your data are removed, analysis of your data is undertaken, and a risk score is then determined. This is then provided back to your GP as data controller in an identifiable form. Risk stratification enables your GP to focus on preventing ill health and not just the treatment of sickness. If necessary, your GP may be able to offer you additional services. Please note that you have the right to opt out of your data being used in this way in most circumstances, please contact the practice for further information about opt out.

Individual Risk Management at a GP practice level however is deemed to be part of your individual healthcare and is covered by our legal powers above.

Medicines Management

The Practice may conduct Medicines Management Reviews of medications prescribed to its patients. This service performs a review of prescribed medications to ensure patients receive the most appropriate, up to date and cost-effective treatments. The reviews are carried out by the CCGs Medicines Management Team under a Data Processing contract with the Practice.

Anonymised information

Sometimes we may provide information about you in an anonymised form. Such information is used analyse population- level heath issues and helps the NHS to plan better services. If we share information for these purposes, then none of the information will identify you as an individual and cannot be traced back to you.

GP Connect Service

The GP Connect service allows authorised clinical staff at NHS 111 to seamlessly access our practice’s clinical system and book directly on behalf of a patient. This means that should you call NHS 111 and the clinician believes you need an appointment with your GP Practice, the clinician will access available appointment slots only (through GP Connect) and book you in. This will save you time as you will not need to contact the practice direct for an appointment.

The practice will not be sharing any of your data and the practice will only allow NHS 111 to see available appointment slots. They will not even have access to your record. However, NHS 111 will share any relevant data with us, but you will be made aware of this. This will help your GP in knowing what treatment / service / help you may require.

Please note if you no longer require the appointment or need to change the date and time for any reason you will need to speak to one of our reception staff and not NHS 111.

Patient Communication

Because we are obliged to protect any confidential information, we hold about you and we take this very seriously, it is imperative that you let us know immediately if you change any of your contact details.

We may contact you using SMS texting to your mobile phone in the event that we need to notify you about appointments and other services that we provide to you involving your direct care, therefore you must ensure that we have your up to date details. This is to ensure we are sure we are actually contacting you and not another person. As this is operated on an ‘opt out’ basis we will assume that you give us permission to contact you via SMS if you have provided us with your mobile telephone number. Please let us know if you wish to opt out of this SMS service. We may also contact you using the email address you have provided to us. Please ensure that we have your up to date details.

There may be occasions where authorised research facilities would like you to take part in research. Your contact details may be used to invite you to receive further information about such research opportunities.

Safeguarding

The Practice is dedicated to ensuring that the principles and duties of safeguarding adults and children are holistically, consistently and conscientiously applied with the wellbeing of all, at the heart of what we do.

Our legal basis for processing For the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) purposes is: –

Article 6(1)(e) ‘…exercise of official authority…’.

For the processing of special categories data, the basis is: –

Article 9(2)(b) – ‘processing is necessary for the purposes of carrying out the obligations and exercising specific rights of the controller or of the data subject in the field of employment and social security and social protection law…’

Research

Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) collects de-identified patient data from a network of GP practices across the UK. Primary care data are linked to a range of other health related data to provide a longitudinal, representative UK population health dataset.

You can opt out of your information being used for research purposes at any time (see below), full details can be found here: –

https://cprd.com/transparency-information

The legal bases for processing this information

CPRD do not hold or process personal data on patients; however, NHS Digital (formally the Health and Social Care Centre) may process ‘personal data’ for us as an accredited ‘safe haven’ or ‘trusted third-party’ within the NHS when linking GP data with data from other sources. The legal bases for processing this data are:

Medicines and medical device monitoring: Article 6(e) and Article 9(2)(i) – public interest in the area of public health
Medical research and statistics: Article 6(e) and Article 9(2)(j) – public interest and scientific research purposes

Any data CPRD hold or pass on to bona fide researchers, except for clinical research studies, will have been anonymised in accordance with the Information Commissioner’s Office Anonymisation Code of Practice. We will hold data indefinitely for the benefit of future research, but studies will normally only hold the data we release to them for twelve months.

Categories of personal data

The data collected by Practice staff in the event of a safeguarding situation will be as much personal information as is possible that is necessary to obtain in order to handle the situation. In addition to some basic demographic and contact details, we will also process details of what the safeguarding concern is. This is likely to be special category information (such as health information).

Sources of the data

The Practice will either receive or collect information when someone contacts the organisation with safeguarding concerns, or we believe there may be safeguarding concerns and make enquiries to relevant providers.

Recipients of personal data

The information is used by the Practice when handling a safeguarding incident or concern. We may share information accordingly to ensure duty of care and investigation as required with other partners such as local authorities, the police or healthcare professionals (i.e. their GP or mental health team).

Third party processors

In order to deliver the best possible service, the practice will share data (where required) with other NHS bodies such as other GP practices and hospitals. In addition, the practice will use carefully selected third party service providers. When we use a third party service provider to process data on our behalf then we will always have an appropriate agreement in place to ensure that they keep the data secure, that they do not use or share information other than in accordance with our instructions and that they are operating appropriately. Examples of functions that may be carried out by third parties include:

Companies that provide IT services & support, including our core clinical systems; systems which manage patient facing services (such as our website and service accessible through the same); data hosting service providers; systems which facilitate appointment bookings or electronic prescription services; document management services etc.
Delivery services (for example if we were to arrange for delivery of any medicines to you).
Payment providers (if for example you were paying for a prescription or a service such as travel vaccinations).

Further details regarding specific third-party processors can be supplied on request to the Data Protection Officer as below.

How do we maintain the confidentiality of your records?

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:

Data Protection Act 2018
The General Data Protection Regulations 2016
Human Rights Act 1998
Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
Health and Care Act 2022
NHS Codes of Confidentiality, Information Security and Records Management
Information: To Share or Not to Share Review

Every member of staff who works for an NHS organisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.

We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and/or in accordance with the information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (Information to share or not to share) where “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.” This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott principles.

Our practice policy is to respect the privacy of our patients, their families and our staff and to maintain compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and all UK specific Data Protection Requirements. Our policy is to ensure all personal data related to our patients will be protected.

All employees and sub-contractors engaged by our practice are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. The practice will, if required, sign a separate confidentiality agreement if the client deems it necessary. If a sub-contractor acts as a data processor for Darlaston Family Practice an appropriate contract (art 24-28) will be established for the processing of your information.

In certain circumstances you may have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of data. Please contact the Data Protection Officer in writing if you wish to withdraw your consent. If some circumstances we may need to store your data after your consent has been withdrawn to comply with a legislative requirement.

Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified. Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – the surgery will always gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose in an identifiable format. In some circumstances you can Opt-out of the surgery sharing any of your information for research purposes.

With your consent we would also like to use your information

There are times that we may want to use your information to contact you or offer you services, not directly about your healthcare, in these instances we will always gain your consent to contact you. We would however like to use your name, contact details and email address to inform you of other services that may benefit you. We will only do this with your consent. There may be occasions where authorised research facilities would like you to take part on innovations, research, improving services or identifying trends, you will be asked to opt into such programmes if you are happy to do so.

At any stage where we would like to use your data for anything other than the specified purposes and where there is no lawful requirement for us to share or process your data, we will ensure that you have the ability to consent and opt out prior to any data processing taking place.
This information is not shared with third parties or used for any marketing and you can unsubscribe at any time via phone, email or by informing the practice DPO as below.

National Opt-Out Facility

You can choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research and planning.

Who can use your confidential patient information for research and planning?

It is used by the NHS, local authorities, university and hospital researchers, medical colleges and pharmaceutical companies researching new treatments.

Making your data opt-out choice

You can choose to opt out of sharing your confidential patient information for research and planning. There may still be times when your confidential patient information is used: for example, during an epidemic where there might be a risk to you or to other people’s health. You can also still consent to take part in a specific research project.

Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?

No, your confidential patient information will still be used for your individual care. Choosing to opt out will not affect your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.

What should you do next?

You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your confidential patient 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 choice at any time. To find out more or to make your choice visit nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters or call 0300 303 5678

Where do we store your information electronically?

All the personal data we process is processed by our staff in the UK however for the purposes of IT hosting and maintenance this information may be located on servers within the European Union.

No 3rd parties have access to your personal data unless the law allows them to do so and appropriate safeguards have been put in place such as a Data Processor as above). We have a Data Protection regime in place to oversee the effective and secure processing of your personal and or special category (sensitive, confidential) data.

EMIS Web

The Practice uses a clinical system provided by a Data Processor called EMIS, with effect from 10^th June 2019, EMIS will start storing your practice’s EMIS Web data in a highly secure, third party cloud hosted environment, namely Amazon Web Services (“AWS”).

The data will remain in the UK at all times and will be fully encrypted both in transit and at rest. In doing this, there will be no change to the control of access to your data and the hosted service provider will not have any access to the decryption keys. AWS is one of the world’s largest cloud companies, already supporting numerous public sector clients (including the NHS), and it offers the very highest levels of security and support.

Who are our partner organisations?

We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations;

NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts
GP’s
Primary Care Network
NHS Commissioning Support Units
Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
Private Sector Providers
Voluntary Sector Providers
Ambulance Trusts
Clinical Commissioning Groups
Social Care Services
NHS England (NHSE) and NHS Digital (NHSD)
Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
Local Authorities
Education Services
Fire and Rescue Services
Police & Judicial Services
Voluntary Sector Providers
Private Sector Providers
Other ‘data processors’ which you will be informed of

You will be informed who your data will be shared with and in some cases asked for consent for this to happen when this is required.

Computer System

This practice operates a Clinical Computer System on which NHS Staff record information securely. This information can then be shared with other clinicians so that everyone caring for you is fully informed about your medical history, including allergies and medication.

To provide around the clock safe care, unless you have asked us not to, we will make information available to our Partner Organisation (above). Wherever possible, their staff will ask your consent before your information is viewed.

Shared Care Records

To support your care and improve the sharing of relevant information to our partner organisations (as above) when they are involved in looking after you, we will share information to other systems. You can opt out of this sharing of your records with our partners at anytime if this sharing is based on your consent.

We may also use external companies to process personal information, such as for archiving purposes. These companies are bound by contractual agreements to ensure information is kept confidential and secure. All employees and sub-contractors engaged by our practice are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. If a sub-contractor acts as a data processor for Darlaston Family Practice an appropriate contract (art 24-28) will be established for the processing of your information.

Sharing your information without consent

We will normally ask you for your consent, but there are times when we may be required by law to share your information without your consent, for example:

where there is a serious risk of harm or abuse to you or other people;
Safeguarding matters and investigations
where a serious crime, such as assault, is being investigated or where it could be prevented;
notification of new births;
where we encounter infectious diseases that may endanger the safety of others, such as meningitis or measles (but not HIV/AIDS);
where a formal court order has been issued;
where there is a legal requirement, for example if you had committed a Road Traffic Offence.

How long will we store your information?

We are required under UK law to keep your information and data for the full retention periods as specified by the NHS Records management code of practice for health and social care and national archives requirements.

More information on records retention can be found online at: https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/media/documents/NHSX_Records_Management_CoP_V7.pdf

How can you access, amend move the personal data that you have given to us?

Even if we already hold your personal data, you still have various rights in relation to it. To get in touch about these, please contact us. We will seek to deal with your request without undue delay, and in any event in accordance with the requirements of any applicable laws. Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.

Right to object: If we are using your data and you do not agree, you have the right to object. We will respond to your request within one month (although we may be allowed to extend this period in certain cases). This is NOT an absolute right sometimes we will need to process your data even if you object.

Right to withdraw consent: Where we have obtained your consent to process your personal data for certain activities (for example for a research project, or consent to send you information about us or matters you may be interested in), you may withdraw your consent at any time.

Right to erasure: In certain situations (for example, where we have processed your data unlawfully), you have the right to request us to “erase” your personal data. We will respond to your request within one month (although we may be allowed to extend this period in certain cases) and will only disagree with you if certain limited conditions apply. If we do agree to your request, we will delete your data but will need to keep a note of your name/other basic details on our register of individuals who would prefer not to be contacted. This enables us to avoid contacting you in the future where your data are collected in unconnected circumstances. If you would prefer us not to do this, you are free to say so.

Right of data portability: If you wish, you have the right to transfer your data from us to another data controller. We will help with this with a GP to GP data transfer and transfer of your hard copy notes.

Primary Care Network

The objective of primary care networks (PCNs) is for group practices together to create more collaborative workforces which ease the pressure of GP’s, leaving them better able to focus on patient care. Darlaston Family Practice is within Walsall West 1 PCN.

Primary Care Networks form a key building block of the NHS long-term plan. Bringing general practices together to work at scale has been a policy priority for some years for a range of reasons, including improving the ability of practices to recruit and retain staff; to manage financial and estates pressures; to provide a wider range of services to patients and to more easily integrate with the wider health and care system.

This means the practice may share your information with other practices within the PCN to provide you with your care and treatment.

Access to your personal information

Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR): You have a right under the Data Protection legislation to request access to view or to obtain copies of what information the surgery holds about you and to have it amended should it be inaccurate. To request this, you need to do the following:

Your request should be made to the Practice. (For information from a hospital or other Trust/ NHS organisation you should write direct to them.
There is no charge to have a copy of the information held about you
We are required to provide you with information within one month
You will need to give adequate information (for example full name, address, date of birth, NHS number and details of your request) so that your identity can be verified, and your records located information we hold about you at any time.

What should you do if your personal information changes?

You should tell us so that we can update our records please contact the Practice Manager as soon as any of your details change, this is especially important for changes of address or contact details (such as your mobile phone number), the practice will from time to time ask you to confirm that the information we currently hold is accurate and up-to-date.

Online Access

You may ask us if you wish to have online access to your medical record. However, there will be certain protocols that we have to follow in order to give you online access, including written consent and production of documents that prove your identity.

Please note that when we give you online access, the responsibility is yours to make sure that you keep your information safe and secure if you do not wish any third party to gain access.

Third parties mentioned on your medical record

Sometimes we record information about third parties mentioned by you to us during any consultation, or contained in letters we receive from other organisations. We are under an obligation to make sure we also protect that third party’s rights as an individual and to ensure that references to them which may breach their rights to confidentiality, are removed before we send any information to any other party including yourself.

Our website

The only website this Privacy Notice applies to is the Surgery’s website. If you use a link to any other website from the Surgery’s website then you will need to read their respective Privacy Notice. We take no responsibility (legal or otherwise) for the content of other websites.

The Surgery’s website uses cookies. For more information on which cookies we use and how we use them, please see our Cookies Policy.

CCTV recording

CCTV is installed on our practice premises covering both the external area of the building and the internal area excluding consulting rooms. Images are held to improve the personal security of patients and staff whilst on the premises, and for the prevention and detection of crime. The images are recorded onto an integral hard drive of the equipment and are overwritten on a rolling basis. Viewing of these digital images is password protected and controlled by the Practice Manager.

Telephone system

Our telephone system records all telephone calls. Recordings are retained for up to six years, and are used periodically for the purposes of seeking clarification where there is a dispute as to what was said and for staff training. Access to these recordings is restricted to named senior staff.

Objections / Complaints

Should you have any concerns about how your information is managed at the GP, please contact the GP Practice Manager or the Data Protection Officer as above. If you are still unhappy following a review by the GP practice, you have a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You have a right to complain to the UK supervisory Authority as below.

Information Commissioner:
Wycliffe house,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545745

https://ico.org.uk/

If you are happy for your data to be used for the purposes described in this privacy notice, then you do not need to do anything. If you have any concerns about how your data is shared, then please contact the Practice Data Protection Officer.

If you would like to know more about your rights in respect of the personal data we hold about you, please contact the Data Protection Officer as below.

Data Protection Officer:

The Practice Data Protection Officer is Michelle Wiles. Any queries regarding Data Protection issues should be addressed to it at: –

Email: [email protected]

Postal: Information Governance Team,
Civic Centre,
St Peters Square,
Wolverhampton,
WV1 1SH

Changes:

It is important to point out that we may amend this Privacy Notice from time to time. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our Privacy Notice, please contact the Practice Data Protection Officer.

Digitalisation of Patient Records – FAQ

PREPARATION OF RECORDS

Can un-summarised records be sent over for digitisation?
The summarisation of records was mandated in 2004 as part of the then GMS Contract. Practices and CCGs should ensure that records have and continue to be summarised. However, if records are identified as not being summarised then this should not be a barrier for the digitisation of LG records taking place.

Is there any scope to ask for the records to be summarised at the same time, or is there any software that can do this (even at additional cost to practice)?
No – this is a scanning process – the supplier will scan records as they are received – where summary records are desired this needs to happen before they are sent for scanning.

What is the process for scanning, uploading and managing confidential / sensitive sections of the Lloyd George patient record?
There may be paper LG records that practices come across during the preparation stage of the digitisation project that contain adoption information, child protection information, safeguarding and other sensitive and confidential information as well as LG records possibly being sealed. In these scenarios practices should follow current guidance, both local and national, with regards to record management, confidentiality, information security and adhere to the NHS records management code of practice when scanning and uploading sensitive information into the electronic patient record.

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/looking-after-information/data-security-and-information-governance/codes-of-practice-for-handling-information-in-health-and-care/records-management-code-of-practice-for-health-and-social-care-2016

When LG information is scanned and uploaded, the attachment is deemed part of the medical record and any third party information that is included must be easily identified and removed prior to sharing the record with the patient. This can be actioned via the use of redaction software with a number of free solutions available on the market. Depending on the functionality of current redaction software there may still be manual processes required to redact handwritten text, unfamiliar terminology or abbreviations contained within the record.

Is there a naming convention for the imported attached Lloyd George file?
There are a wide range of file naming conventions in use when naming Lloyd George patient records that have been digitised. The naming convention used is heavily dependent on the supplier chosen to digitise the records. According to section 10.5 of “The Good Practice Guidelines for GP electronic patient records v4 (2011)” when attaching a clinical document, it is important to name or categorise the document with the local GP system so that its source and clinical significance is readily apparent when the record is viewed without needing to open the document itself. The attachment should also be correctly attributed and coded to facilitate querying. What this means is that whatever naming convention is used to name a Lloyd George digitised file then it should be named with clear indicators as to what the file is without needing to open it and also include attributes which allow the file to be easily queried or searchable within the clinical system. E.g. [PDFnumber]_Lloyd_George_Record _[Patient Name]_[NHS Number]_[D.O.B].PDF

Should practices scan the Lloyd George record into separate sections or as one section?
It is advised that practices scan the Lloyd George records as a single section over scanning the record into multiple sections. With the use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology and the contents of digital files easily searchable, there are real benefits scanning the record as one section against scanning into multiple sections. One of those benefits is it would take away the burden on practices not having to sort the contents of records into multiple sections which would incur time and resource to a practice in doing so. The documents are individually scanned but only one PDF file created and uploaded for each LG wallet. They will not be added to the record as individual items. The upload will be visible as an attachment in the Care History section and coded. The record is scanned as a single document rather than in multiple sections and it is searchable using OCR tech as discussed previously. However the above is guidance and not is not mandated so before practices decide on a format to scan their Lloyd George patient records, there are a number of factors that must be taken into consideration which include: Cost and resource implications of choosing either optionPros and Cons of choosing either optionCurrent guidance being followed i.e. The Good Practice Guidelines for GP electronic patient records However a practice decides to scan their records, it is imperative that the files are named correctly using the national naming convention which is as follows:

[PDFnumber]_Lloyd_George_Record_[Patient Name]_[NHS Number]_[D.O.B].PDF An example is provided below: 1of2_Lloyd_George_Record_[Joe Bloggs]_[123456789]_[25-12-2019].PDF 2of2_Lloyd_George_Record_[Joe Bloggs]_[123456789]_[25-12-2019].PDF.

Will the scanning be in sections or a single scan (PDF)?
The records will be scanned in the manner that they are received by the scanning company – IE if they are in sections they will be scanned in sections and if they are a single record they will be scanned as a single record. The scanned record will be searchable

If duplicate records are present (where they are scanned already but the paper record has been kept), will this be identified or will everything just be re-scanned?
Where practices wish to cleanse / fillet their records this needs to happen before they are sent to the supplier for scanning. Once received by the supplier the records will be scanned in as received including duplicates, blank pages etc. and will be considered the “original record.”

The Lloyd George record may contain historic information on disk, or even floppy in some cases. We no longer have the technology to open these formats and therefore wouldn’t be able to scan the information on. What do we do in these circumstances?
We will be discussing this with the supplier and will be able to respond further in a few weeks.
I don’t know about other practices, but we can’t store all our records in neat little boxes in alphabetical order. We have over 100 ‘outsize’ records, which we cannot fit into the usual cabinets. These could be in FP111 folders, bankers’ boxes or in some cases A4 photocopier paper boxes. Not sure how we’d get these into order with the ‘normal’ records, or would the outsize ones just be classed as a separate batch?
This is no problem at all, we understand that folders are different sizes and can not fit in standard boxes as long they contain NHS number, surname, forename and DOB. The supplier will provide boxes and where required will assist with packing them.

How should practices manage digitised Lloyd George patient records that have been scanned into a different format other than what has been agreed locally?
It is possible that practices may receive a digitised Lloyd George patient record from another practice in a format other than the format which has been agreed as part of a local approach. An example of this is when a practice has agreed to scan their Lloyd George records as one single file but receives a digitised file from another practice that has been scanned into multiple sections. In this scenario it is important that practice staff are aware that Lloyd George digitised files may present in the clinical system in different format other to what has been agreed locally and that the file(s) that have been received are to be kept in the format that they arrive in. This aligns with the ‘BS10008 Evidential weight and legal admissibility of electronic information’ standard which must be adhered to as part of the full digitisation process. As long as digitised Lloyd George patient records have been scanned as a searchable PDF using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology then there should not be an issue as to whether records are scanned into multiple sections or as one single section as the content of either format is readily searchable. It is advised that practices should agree locally on a format to scan their records into i.e. as multiple sections or as one single section, and sign an SLA agreeing that all local practices should adhere to the format. Included in the SLA should be the agreement to keep digitised records received from practices outside of the local area in the format that they are received in.

Can patients opt out of having their records digitised?
No. Digitisation is mandatory. It is good practice for surgeries to notify patients 30 days in advance through websites and notices displayed in practices
Some records are huge.

How will they be scanned and will they be able to be transferred through GP2GP?
There are no restrictions on note sizes. Each page will be individually prepared and the scanners can scan all sizes of paper and bring them back together in the completed record. We understand that GP2GP has been upgraded and there are no restrictions to file size. A PDF is produced for each LG pouch and attached to the record. The uploaded digital record will be visible In EMIS in the Care history section as an event attachment and will be read/snomed coded so it is searchable. There is an OCR facility within the PDF, but please note that this only works effectively where the scan is of high resolution, so may not work well with old documents

Some practices store records off-site. Will this impact on the process?
No. Records can be collected from off-site storage. There are several options regarding how these will be checked and logged for scanning. This will be discussed with the practice as part of the process. Please note that records will be scanned as received by the scanning company, so any summarisation needed should be done prior to scanning.

How much work is expected from Practices in digitising their records?
We will lighten the load as much as possible, but there will be some things only the practice can do. Notes need to be summarised prior to scanning. Restore Digital can send a team to pack the records but the surgery needs to be able to accommodate up to 4 people for up to 4 days while they do this. The practice will also need to carry out their own quality checks post scanning, of between 40 and 80 records depending on practice size.

TRANSPORTATION OF RECORDS

If practice members have concerns over security can the collection and transportation of LG records from the practice be refused i.e. records being collected by a 3rd party supplier?
Prior to LG records being collected and transported from a practice, it is the responsibility of both the practice and the supplier to arrange an appropriate date and time for the supplier to attend the practice and collect the Lloyd George records and transport them off site. On attending the practice the supplier must present the adequate forms of identification which clearly state who they are and if practice staff are not happy to authorise the collection for whatever reason then staff have the right to refuse the collection and transportation of records taking place.

QUALITY CHECKING RECORDS

How do I know if records will be digitised correctly?
All suppliers who undertake the scanning and digitisation of LG records will be required to develop standard operating processes that comply with the standard ‘BS10008 Evidential weight and legal admissibility of electronic information’. By suppliers adhering to these standards it assures practices that paper LG records being digitised will retain the evidential weight and legal admissibility of the record throughout all stages of the process. Quality assurance is one of a number of important stages of the digitisation process and practices will be asked to validate the quality of their LG records once they have been digitised by a supplier. The quantity of how many records to be validated will depend on the total amount of LG records that were digitised. To check the records for quality, practices need to consider accuracy over the burden to the practice. It is the responsibility of the practice to choose a packing box or boxes at random that contain the required amount of LG paper records based on the table above. This can be done by selecting a packing box number(s) from the patient inventory list and informing the scanning supplier.

AFTER SCANNING

Is the scanned record available in PDF format that can be used with iGPR (a software that checks for accuracy and redacts where required)
Yes, the exact system and software for records sharing, redacting etc. will be clarified during and post tender. Different suppliers are linked with different systems.
What format does the records come back in ie PDF and will it be searchable?
Yes the record will be searchable – more details will be advised post the confirmation of the supplier.

Can records be redacted after they have been scanned?
No. The original record will be as scanned. It can be redacted for sending out to patients on request, but this will not change the scanned record
When a patient needs notes that are redacted, how will this work with a PDF document
There is software that can do this.

Is there a cut off point to destroy electronic records?
The national team are discussing future changes to policy with PCSE. This will be added to the process and associated guidance when it is determined.

Are there any plans to dispose of the old filing cabinets/drawer units used to house the records as part of this programme?
Initial enquiries indicate that the scrap value of cabinets and metal shelves roughly equates to the cost of collection. This will vary on a practice by practice basis. The responsibility for arranging this will be with the practice – support will be provided to identify suitable contractors.

Do the physical records come back to the practice? Does the empty LG envelope come back? How long do the records need to be stored for?
The LG records which have been picked up and digitised will not be sent back only the samples for validation and quality assurance then the records will be destroyed following all standards. The LG envelope does get sent back to the practices and need to be kept for the time being. NHSE National Team are currently seeking legal advice about this.

Can the paper LG record be destroyed once the digitised version has been validated and approved?
The contents of the paper LG record can be destroyed once the digitised version has been validated and quality assured by the practice and is integrated into the full electronic patient record. It is the responsibility of the practice as the data controller to approve the destruction of the contents of the physical records; additionally it is best practice to inform the local CCG when destruction of records is to take place. At the time of writing it is important to note that the Lloyd George envelope must be kept until further notice

After digitisation we are told that the Lloyd George envelopes will come back to us. Does this mean empty envelopes? Surely we won’t be getting back all the digitised documents! Are practices legally obliged to keep the empty Lloyd George envelopes? If not, then do practices still need to issue new envelopes moving forward?
Yes this is correct, only the empty envelopes will be sent back to practices until they can be destroyed. Practices are legally obliged to keep them. This is being challenged nationally and we are waiting for guidance from the national team regarding this. Until national guidance is released new envelopes still need to be issued.

What do I do with paper records received after my records have been scanned?
EMIS offer an ongoing digitisation service for new patients registering at your practice and additional paperwork being received for current patients. The service is based on an annual subscription model. Further information from your EMIS Health Account Director

ACCESS TO RECORDS

Does the practice have immediate access to the records that have been scanned and entered onto the cloud, or do they have to wait until their entire records have been scanned before access is granted? If there was a time dependent urgent access required to records once they have been taken to be scanned, would there be the facility for an ad hoc request for that record to be scanned quickly or sent back to the practice? (Safeguarding/Court type issues)
Access to records that are going through the scanning process will be discussed with the successful supplier. It is anticipated that individual records will be available at short notice pre and post scan – exact timescales and out-of-hours arrangements to be agreed with successful supplier.

Should on-line access be given to patients once LG records have been digitised?
Once a LG record has been digitised and uploaded to the patient record it is treated as a ‘document’ by the clinical system. The default position is that the digitised file would be visible to patients in the same manner as any other document via patient facing services (online-access). With information contained within the LG record most likely written with a view to them not being readily accessible by patients, it is possible information may include language and comments that practices may not wish to share with patients out of context. It is therefore advised that access to the digitised version of the LG record should only be provided via a Subject Access Request (SAR) which has been submitted to the practice by the patient or a patient representative. Digitised LG records can be made ‘private’ and not visible to the patient by applying a filter within the clinical system. Practices who are unsure on how to apply this filter should contact their clinical system provider for advice. The requirement to make digitised LG records private is not necessary for practices that have chosen to upload their records to a cloud based solution due to LG records being stored outside of the clinical system

TRANSFERS IN AND OUT

What if we register a patient from an area that has yet to digitise their Lloyd George patient records?
There are a number of options to resolve this issue. Once the patient has been transferred via GP2GP and the receiving practice has received the Lloyd George Envelope from the sending practice, the Lloyd George record will need to be scanned and attached to the patient’s clinical record. How the practice does this will depend on any business as usual processes or solution currently in place. This could be that the practice scan the Lloyd George file then manually upload to the patient record in clinical system, or they use a 3rd party supplier to conduct this transaction. If the practice is using a portal solution for their digitised Lloyd George records, they may wish to include new patients Lloyd George records to this solution. In this case the practice will need to arrange with the portal supplier to ensure the new patients Lloyd George record is managed accordingly.

What is the expectation around new patients after the pilot, both within the ICS and external?
The LG scanning programme is for the financial years 20/21 and 21/22. This programme will cover all records within the programme and associated budget. New records that need scanning that are received prior to April 2022 will be collected by the scanning company from practices in batches at regular intervals. After this programme has concluded, responsibility for scanning LG records that arrive at a practice from a patient moving to the area will be with the practice in discussion with the CCG to resource.

Will the digitised Lloyd George attachment transfer with the electronic patient record via GP2GP?
All clinical systems are now capable of GP2GP transfers which allow for the secure transfer of a patients electronic record (including attachments) from an old practice to a new practice at the point of registration. The original version of GP2GP (version 1.1) was only able to transfer files of less than 5mb in size and include less than 99 attachments which was due to the technical limitations of the spine. With the limitations of version 1.1 this prevented the service being able to effectively include Lloyd George attachments as part the GP2GP transfer. The GP2GP service has seen a number of improvements from the original version and is now currently at version 2.2. GP2GP v2.2 includes the functionality to transfer larger messages and an increased number of attachments allowing for Lloyd George patient records to be included within the attachments of the GP2GP transfer. Note: There are some clinical suppliers that have not updated their system to utilise the current version of GP2GP service. In this scenario practices that are not on the current version will be unable to include Lloyd George patient records as part of the GP2GP transfer and will need to continue printing out the full electronic record including Lloyd George information and send it on to a patients new practice. Additionally as part of a GP2GP transfer it is possible that coded information may be stripped from the record and must then be coded by the patient’s new practice. Solutions to both scenarios are being investigated and any further guidance will be published in due course.

On a patient’s death, all of the record is printed and send by post to PCSE who archive and keep for the record keeping standard. Will there be any move to this being a digital transfer as part of this programme?
The national team are discussing future changes to policy with PCSE. This will be added to the process and associated guidance when it is determined.

What happens when patients de-register. Practices will not have the physical LG to send to the new practice?
The intention is that this is a GP2GP transfer.

What guarantees are there that records will transfer by GP2GP in the future as there are currently a myriad of reasons why they don’t?
This is not specifically a digitisation issue but an issue that which is being looked into in dialogue between the National team and PCSE. Once we receive further information we will communicate with practices. There is a national GP2GP team which are looking into why files sometimes don’t transmit correctly and they have identified that these failures aren’t attributed to the actual file.

FUNDING

Can practices have the funding to do their own digitising?
No, the funding is for the programme across Lancashire and South Cumbria. Practices aren’t required to be part of this programme and where they want to do something else they will need to self-fund. Any programme surplus funding per ICP will be used for other areas of L&SC that received proportionately less funding.

Will there be any funding for the preparation work that practices will have to do. For example we are expected to remove information from the Lloyd George records that should not be in there (we find all sorts of stuff – misfiled letters, copy birth certificates, etc, etc) or are we relying on redaction after the event?
Sorting the records into batches and getting them ready for collection will also take time, as will sorting out disposal of cabinets etc afterwards.
A lot of the preparation work should have been done already and the prioritisation questionnaires that practices have been asked to complete will show how ready/ how much support they may need. As part of the tender specification we did ask the supplier how they would minimise the burden for practice staff so there will be aspects that they will support with as well.

How is it resourced after the pilot?
Cloud storage costs will be ascertained after the tender has concluded and this will be discussed with the CCGs as costs are known. as re know

Free Services

GP and Nurse consultations in primary care, treatment provided by a GP and other primary care services are free of charge to all, whether registering as an NHS patient, or as a temporary patient (which is when the patient is in the area for more than 24 hours and less than 3 months).

For secondary care services, the UK’s healthcare system is a residence based one, which means entitlement to free healthcare is based on living lawfully in the UK on an approved and settled basis. The measure of residence that the UK uses to determine entitlement to free NHS healthcare is known as ‘ordinary residence’. This requires non-EEA nationals subject to immigration control, to also have the immigration status of ‘indefinite leave to remain’. Individuals who are not ordinarily resident in the UK may be required to pay for their care when they are in England. However, some services and some individuals are exempt from payment.

The following NHS treatment is available to anyone:

Treatment in an emergency (but not follow up treatment)
Treatment of certain communicable diseases
Compulsory psychiatric treatment

GPs are the first point of contact for virtually all NHS patients:

They can direct you to other NHS services and are experts in family medicine, preventative care, health education, and treating people with multiple and long-term conditions
If you’re planning to live and work in England, you need to register with a local GP
Being registered with a GP Practice does not in itself mean you’ll be entitled to free NHS hospital treatment
You’ll need to fill out a GMS1 form (PDF, 156kb) using exactly the same details you used when you filled out your visa
If you’re in England for a short visit but need to see a GP, you can register as a temporary patient with a local Doctor – to do this, you need to be in the area for more than 24 hours but less than 3 months
Treatment will be free of charge, but make sure you present your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if you have one

Medical emergencies

If you need immediate medical assistance (e.g. because of an accident) telephone 999. The call is free. An Operator will ask you which emergency service you require (Fire, Police or Ambulance). You will need to tell the emergency services what has happened and where you are. If someone is injured and needs to go to Hospital, an ambulance will be sent out to pick the patient up and take them to the nearest Hospital that has an Accident & Emergency Department.

If you need urgent treatment but are well enough to travel please make your own way to the nearest Accident & Emergency Department.

Equality and Diversity Policy

Our Policy is designed to ensure and promote equality and inclusion, supporting the ethos and requirements of the Equality Act 2010 for all visitors to our Practice.

We are committed to:

ensuring that all visitors are treated with dignity and respect
promoting equality of opportunity between men and women
not tolerating any discrimination or perceived discrimination against, or harassment of, any visitor for reason of age, sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief
providing the same treatment and services (including the ability to register with the Practice) to any visitor irrespective of age, sex, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, religion or belief
This Policy applies to the general public, including all patients and their families, visitors and contractors

Procedure

Discrimination by the Practice or Visitors / patients against you

If you feel discriminated against:

You should bring the matter to the attention of the Practice Manager
The Practice Manager will investigate the matter thoroughly and confidentially within 14 working days
The Practice Manager will establish the facts and decide whether or not discrimination has taken place, and advise you of the outcome of the investigation within 14 working days
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should raise a formal complaint through our Complaints Procedure

Discrimination against our Practice staff

The Practice will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment of our staff by any visitor. Any visitor who expresses any form of discrimination against or harassment of any member of our staff will be required to leave the Practice premises immediately. If the visitor is a patient they may also, at the discretion of the Practice Management, be removed from the Practice list if any such behaviour occurs.

Freedom of Information

Anyone has a right to request information from a public authority. We have two separate duties when responding to these requests:

to tell the applicant (you or your representative) whether we hold any information falling within the scope of their request; and
to provide that information

We normally have 20 working days to respond to a request.

For a request to be valid under the Freedom of Information Act it must be made in writing and should be submitted to the Practice Manager and must include the name and address of the applicant, for the reply; the applicant does not need to say why they want the information. Any letter or email to a public authority asking for information is a request for recorded information under the Act.

Further Information available from the Independent Commissioners Office (ICO)

General Practice Extraction Service (GPES)

General Practice Extraction Service (GPES) is a centrally managed, primary care, data extraction service being introduced across England, and is managed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

The purpose of GPES is to extract and compare data from across the NHS, allowing data to be turned into accurate and usable management information; this in turn leads to improvements in patient care and greater efficiency across the service as a whole. The data extracted is also used to support QOF, although GPES does not calculate or make these payments, that task is carried out by the Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS).

Click on the link below to be redirected to a more in depth review of how ‘Care Data’ is being managed.

For further information please access this LINK.

Infection Control Statement

Infection Prevention and Control is the work an organisation does to identify potential risks for spread of infection between patients (and between patients and staff) and to take measures to reduce that risk. The Practice takes its responsibility to do this very seriously.

All staff take responsibility for their own role in this and all staff receive regular training in their role in Infection Prevention and Control.

Named GP Policy

As part of the NHS commitment to providing more personalised care, from June 2015 all practices are required to provide all their Patients with a named GP who will have overall responsibility for the care and support that our surgery provides.

This will not impact your experience at the practice, the provision of appointments, your treatment, or which GP you can see
You may wonder why your allocated GP is not necessarily the one you see most regularly. Please be assured that you can still access all of our medical team in exactly the same way as before
Having a named GP does not guarantee you will always be seen by that GP
Please note that the GP responsible for your care may be subject to change and reallocation in the future

You do not need to take any further action, but if you have any questions or wish to know your named GP, please speak to a member of the reception team.

What does ‘accountable’ mean?

This is largely a role of oversight, with the requirements being introduced to reassure patients that they have one GP within the practice who is responsible for ensuring that this work is carried out on their behalf.

What are the named GP’s responsibilities to 75s and over?

This is unchanged from 2014-2015; for patients aged 75 and over the named accountable GP is responsible for:

working with relevant associated health and social care professionals to deliver a multi-disciplinary care package that meets the needs of the patient
ensuring that these patients have access to a health check as set out in section 7.9 of the GMS Contract Regulations.

Does the requirement mean 24-hour responsibility for patients? No. The named GP will not:

take on vicarious responsibility for the work of other doctors or health professional
take on 24-hour responsibility for the patient, or have to change their working hours. The requirement does not imply personal availability for GPs throughout the working week
be the only GP or clinician who will provide care to that patient

Can patients choose their own named GP

In the first instance, patients should simply be allocated a named GP. However, if a patient requests a particular GP, reasonable efforts should be made to accommodate their preference, recognising that there are occasions when the practice may not feel the patient’s preference is suitable.

Do patients have to see the named GP when they book an appointment with the practice?

No. Patients can and should feel free to choose to see any GP or nurse in the practice in line with current arrangements. However, some practices may see this change as a way to encourage and promote a greater degree of continuity of care for patients.

Patient information leaflet about GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

Privacy Notice

Proxy Access Policy

Please check with the Practice if this service is available.

Giving another person access to your GP online services

Did you know that you can choose to give another person access to your GP online services on your behalf? You don’t need to know how to use these services or have a computer yourself to give another person access.

Who can have access?

You choose who you want to give access to. This could be your carer, partner, parent or another family member. You can also give access to more than one person. Giving access to another person is your choice. No-one can go to your GP surgery and ask for access to your online services without your permission.

You also choose which online services you want each person to use. These are booking appointments, ordering repeat prescriptions and looking at your GP record. You decide whether to let them use one, two or all of the services on your behalf.

Why you may want to give another person access

You may wish to allow another person to use your online services for different reasons. For example:

You are very unwell or just need help managing your health
You have a long term condition ,for example diabetes, heart disease, asthma or high blood pressure and would like support with checking test results, ordering repeat prescriptions and understanding your treatment
You are finding it more difficult to look after yourself, for example due to memory issues or speech difficulties
You have learning difficulties and want someone else to help you understand your health
You have a carer who can help you manage your health
You may be planning for the future or choosing someone to hold lasting power of attorney for health and social care for you
You are a young person and would like your parent or guardian to look after your health. Some surgeries only allow this for children under the age of 12
You work away from home or are just busy and need help with booking appointments or ordering repeat prescriptions.
You are not comfortable with using computers, smart phones, or tablets

For more information on GP online services for carers, see our leaflets ‘GP online services for carers including young carers’ and ‘Giving employed carers access to your GP online services’. These can be found at Getting started with GP online services.

Benefits

Before giving another person access, you should think about what the benefits will be for you. If you cannot think of any, then you should think very carefully whether allowing them access is the right thing to do. Some of the benefits are:

You have peace of mind that someone is supporting you with managing your health
The person you choose can help you make sure the information your surgery has about you is correct, for example your medication and allergies.
You know that someone else understands your medical information and can provide information when you are unable to. This could be when you are unconscious or too unwell to speak or when you need help explaining or understanding something
You can benefit from the convenience of using GP online services even if you do not use a computer or do not have access to the internet
One member of the family can book appointments for everyone in the household and make sure the appointments fit with your family activities

If you have a carer, using GP online services can save them time allowing them to spend more time looking after your needs.

What other patients who use this service had to say

‘I access my son’s online services to order his repeat prescriptions, it is definitely worthwhile and saves a trip to the surgery. As long as I can remember my login details, it is easy to use. I use this service every couple of months when prescriptions are due.’

Andy, Street Lane Practice.

‘My daughter having access to my GP records gives me peace of mind and the knowledge that I am being cared for.’

Freda, Rotherham Road Medical Centre.

‘This online system is brilliant and means I do not have to waste valuable doctors’ time phoning the practice, which is beneficial for all patients at the practice. I can login once a week to see if we have any issues with my three children. The system is secure with passwords and usernames which can be changed at any time for security purposes. I would recommend to all parents and patients that this is the best system to use for all
GP records of your children. A must have item for all parents and patients.’

Mr Thomas, Street Lane Practice.

How it works

The recommended and safest way to give another person access to your online services is for them to have their own username and password. If you use online services yourself, you should not share your username and password with anyone. If you share your username and password, your surgery cannot tell whether you or someone else accessed your online services. This may be a problem if someone else misuses your login details and your surgery has to look into this.

How to sign up

The steps below show how you can give another person access:

You contact your surgery to let them know you would like to give your chosen person access to your GP online services. You may also choose to register for online services for yourself if you do not already use them
The Practice will give your chosen person a short form to fill in. You will also need to sign to confirm you agree with the information on the form. You can also choose whether you only want them to book appointments or order prescriptions or use all the services on your behalf. It is up to you
Your chosen person will need to show your surgery their photo ID and proof of address, for example, a passport or photo driving licence and a bank statement or council tax statement. If they don’t have the required ID, speak to staff at the surgery, who may be able to help confirm their identity in another way
Staff at the Practice will make a decision on whether to give your chosen person access to your GP online services. If we decide not to give them access, we will discuss their reasons with you
The staff will give your chosen person their own username and password to use to login to your GP online services.

Things to consider before giving another person access

Is there any information in your records you would not like anyone to see or know about?
Can you trust the person to keep your information safe and not share it with others or use it without your permission?
Is any one forcing you into sharing your online services with them or do you think someone could force you to share it with them? If so, we would advise that you do not give them access. If you have any concerns that someone has access to your online records without your permission, speak to your surgery and they can change your password or stop your online services
How long would you like your chosen person to have access for? This can be for a short time, for example when you are suffering from a certain illness and you need support with managing your health during that time. It can also be ongoing so they can help you for a long period of time. You can discuss this with the Practice.

Lasting power of attorney for health and welfare or court appointed deputy

When a person is unable to make decisions for themselves, another person, usually a partner or close family member can be given legal responsibility over decisions concerning their life by the courts. This is called Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney. A person with lasting power of attorney can ask the patient’s surgery for access to their online services. The GP will make a decision whether this should be allowed.

If you know that you would never want a particular person to have access to your online services if you become unable to make your own decisions, you should tell your GP and they will never share them with that person.

Why your surgery may refuse to give your chosen person access

On rare occasions, your GP could refuse to allow your chosen person to use GP online services on your behalf. If this happens, your GP will discuss their reasons with you. Some of the reasons your GP could have are:

Your GP does not think it is in your best interest for your chosen person to use these services on your behalf
You or your chosen people have misused online services in the past
The Practice is concerned that your chosen person will not keep your information safe
The Practice suspects someone is forcing you to give them permission to use your online services
You are not able to make decisions for yourself.

Why your surgery can stop the service

We believe your chosen person is forcing you to share your GP records with them or with another person.
Your chosen person has misused your GP information
You are no longer able to understand or remember that you gave your chosen person permission to use online services on your behalf
You have told the Practice in the past that if you become unable to make decisions for yourself, you do not wish for your chosen person or anyone to have permission to your online services
You have died

How you can stop the service

You can choose to take away access to your GP online services from your chosen person at any time. To end the service, you need to let your surgery know you would like them to switch off online access for your chosen person and give them the reason. Your surgery will then stop the service and your chosen person will not be able to use their login details to look at your information.

Why you may want to stop access

Some of the reasons you can choose to end the service are:

You only needed your chosen person to support you for a short time, for example when you were suffering from a certain illness and you needed help with managing your health during that time
You want to give this responsibility to another person, for example, if you have a new carer or personal assistant
Your relationship with your chosen person has broken down
Your chosen person has misused information in your GP records, for example, they have collected medication in your name or they have shared your private information with someone without your permission.

Quality Assurance

Our Practice aims to provide quality, consistent primary care for all patients. We strive to meet the high standards expected in any clinical setting and we expect all members of our Team to work to these standards to help us achieve our aim.

The policies, systems and processes in place in our Practice reflect our professional and legal responsibilities and follow recognised standards of good practice. We evaluate our Practice on a regular basis, through audit, peer review and patient feedback and monitor the effectiveness of our quality assurance procedures.

Quality standards and procedures

To assist our Team in providing our patients with care of a consistent quality we will:

Provide a safe and welcoming environment
Ensure all members of our Team are appropriately trained
Provide patients with information about the Practice and the care available, and ensure the patient understands the terms under which care is offered
Explain all treatment options and agree clinical decisions with the patient(s), explaining the possible risks involved with each option
Obtain valid consent for all treatment
Refer to Specialists for investigation or treatment as appropriate and without undue delay
Maintain contemporaneous clinical records with an up-to-date medical history for all patients
Provide secure storage of patients records to main confidentiality
Explain the procedure to follow for raising a complaint about the service, identifying the Practice contact

To provide our patients with a Team that provides care of a consistent quality we will:

Provide a safe working environment through hazard identification and risk assessment
Provide relevant training for all new Team members
Provide Job Descriptions and Contracts of Employment
Agree terms for all non-employed contractors working at the Practice
Maintain staff records, ensuring they are kept as up-to-date as possible
Ensure staff are notified where all Practice policies and procedures are stored and accessed

Records Management Code of Practice

Removal of Patients from our List

It is our policy not to remove patients without serious consideration. If a patient has a serious continuing medical condition, removal will be postponed until the patient’s condition stabilises.

Possible grounds for consideration of removal include:

Physical violence to staff, Doctors or other patients
Threat of violence to staff, Doctors or other patients
Abusive or disruptive behaviour including when under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Theft from the Surgery, staff, Doctors or other patients
Criminal damage to the Surgery
Dangerous dogs posing a real or potential hazard on home visits
Altering documents e.g. prescriptions, insurance certificates
Defamation of Doctors or staff
Misuse of appointments
Misuse of home visits
Moving out from within the area
Any other breakdown of the bond of trust between Doctor and patient

It should be noted that if a patient does not attend for their appointment they will not be given another one for 48 hours. In the event of a patient not attending on three occasions they will receive a letter advising them that if they miss another appointment, they will be removed from our Practice list.

In some cases we reserve the right to remove other members of the household. We will continue to be responsible for the patient’s medical care for a period of up to 8 days from the date of notification to our local health authority or until the patient registers with another Doctor, whichever is the sooner.

Safeguarding Children

Our Primary Care Team is committed to safeguarding children. The safety and welfare of children who come into contact with our services either directly or indirectly is paramount, and all staff have a responsibility to ensure that Best Practice is followed, including compliance with statutory requirements.

We are committed to a Best Practice which safeguards children and young people irrespective of their background, and which recognises that a child may be abused regardless of their age, gender, religious beliefs, racial origin or ethnic identity, culture, class, disability or sexual orientation.

The Primary Care Team are committed to working within agreed policies and procedures and in partnership with other agencies, to ensure that the risks of harm to a child or young person are minimised. This work may include direct and indirect contact with children, access to patient’s details and communication via email or text message/telephone.

Our Surgery is supported by the CCG who have designated Nurses and Doctors in post who offer professional expertise and advice regarding safeguarding children.

Shared Decision Making

Making decisions about your care with your doctor or nurse (shared decision making)

When you visit your doctor’s surgery you will often find that there are decisions to be made about your health and the treatments that might be available to you. This includes when you are choosing between different types of treatment or different ways of managing any condition(s) you have. When these decisions are made it is important that you are part of that process, so that you are able to come to the best decisions based on what is important to you.

Shared Decision Making

Your doctor/nurse is an expert about health and health care. You are an expert in knowing about yourself, the impact that any conditions have on you, and what is important to you in treating your condition and in your wider life. When you and your doctor/nurse work together to share what you both know, and then use all of that information to come to a decision together, this is called ‘Shared Decision Making’.

How to get involved

In order for you to be involved in decisions about your care there are three key things you need to know;

What are my options?
What are the possible risks, benefits and consequences of each option?
How can we make a decision together that is right for me?

With shared decision making your doctor/nurse is there to support you by providing good quality information, helping you understand this information, and giving you support and guidance as you think about what is most important to you. This will help you to understand what choices are available to you, the pros and cons of each option, and then use that information to come to a decision together about the best option for you.

If you would like to know more about Shared Decision Making the following video provides further information.

Where to find more information

Here are some links to information which may help you make any decisions about your healthcare.

Patient Decision Aids

Patient Decision Aids (PDAs) are designed to help you decide which treatments and care options are best for you.

PDAs are useful because they allow you to pick out the things that are most important to you (your values) and make comparisons about how different treatments might affect these values. Patient decision aids have been developed for a number of common health care decisions and your doctor/nurse may use one or refer you on to one when you talk with them, or you might find it useful to look at one by yourself. If you would like to know more about patient decision aids and look at some of the patient decision aids that are publicly available, the following websites :

Decision aids developed in the UK.

An international inventory of decision aids.

If you are looking for information about the risk of cardio vascular disease or Type 2 diabetes and ways in which those risks can be reduced these sites contains some useful information:

Q Intervention

Sharing your Information with Others

Collecting and sharing information is essential to provide safe and effective healthcare.

Appropriate information sharing is an essential part of the provision of safe and effective care. Patients may be put at risk if those who provide their care do not have access to relevant, accurate and up-to-date information about them.

All staff have an ethical and legal duty to keep patient information confidential.

If you do not wish your health information to be shared please notify the Practice in writing, in order that we may update your record.

Further Information about Sharing Your Health Records from NHS UK

Social Media Policy

Patients are reminded that if they are found posting any derogatory, defamatory, or offensive comments on social media directed to the Practice or members of staff on social networking sites, this may result in them being removed from the Practice List. We ask if you have a complaint to please contact the Practice Manager in the first instance. We would be grateful if patients could be pro-active in reporting any incidents of this nature to the Practice Manager.

Summary Care Record

Summary Care Records (SCR) are an electronic record of important patient information, created from GP medical records. They can be seen and used by authorised staff involved in a patient’s direct care, both within the Practice as well as in other areas of the healthcare system.

Your Summary Care Record

Care professionals in England use an electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR). This can provide those involved in your care with faster secure access to key information from your GP record.

The NHS have produced an information leaflet about SCR; this is available using the link below, to either view or download as you wish.

SCR Information Leaflet

What is an SCR?

If you are registered with a GP Practice in England, you will already have an SCR unless you have previously chosen not to have one.

It includes the following basic information:

Medicines you are taking
Allergies you suffer from
Any bad reactions to medicines

It also includes your name, address, date of birth and unique NHS Number which helps to identify you correctly.

What choices do you have?

You can now choose to include more information in your SCR, such as significant medical history (past and present), information about management of long term conditions, immunisations and patient preferences such as end of life care information, particular care needs and communication preferences.

Your SCR is available to authorised healthcare staff providing your care anywhere in England, but they will ask your permission before they look at it. This means that if you have an accident or become ill, healthcare staff treating you will have immediate access to important information about your health.

This Practice supports SCR however, as a patient you have a choice:

If you would like an SCR you do not need to do anything and an SCR will be created for you
If you do NOT want an SCR please download the opt out form or ask reception for it, and hand it in to the Practice

SCR Opt Out

Remember, you can change your mind about your SCR at any time. Talk to our Practice if you want to discuss your option to add more information or decide you no longer want an SCR. If you do nothing we will assume you are happy for us to create a SCR for you.

Vulnerable patients and carers

Having an SCR that includes extra information can be of particular benefit to patients with detailed and complex health problems. If you are a carer for someone and believe that this may benefit them, you could discuss it with them and their GP Practice.

Who can see my SCR?

Only authorised, professional healthcare staff in England who are involved in your direct care can have access to your SCR. Your SCR will not be used for any other purposes.

These staff:

Need to have a Smartcard with a chip and passcode
Will only see the information they need to do their job
Will have their details recorded every time they look at your record

Healthcare professionals will ask for your permission if they need to look at your SCR. If they cannot ask you because you are unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate, they may decide to look at your record because doing so is in your best interest. This access is recorded and checked to ensure that it is appropriate.

SCRs for children

If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16, and feel they are able to understand this information you should show it to them. You can then support them to come to a decision about having an SCR and whether to include additional information. You may request to opt them out of SAR; any opt-out requests on behalf of children will be carefully considered.

Confidentiality

For information on how the NHS will collect, store and allow access to your electronic records visit NHS UK.

Unacceptable Actions Policy

We believe that patients have a right to be heard, understood and respected. We work hard to be open and accessible to everyone. Occasionally, the behaviour or actions of individuals using our Practice makes it very difficult for us to deal with their issue or complaint. In a small number of cases the actions of individuals become unacceptable because they involve abuse of our staff or our process. When this happens we have to take action to protect our staff, and must also consider the impact of the individuals behaviour on our ability to do our work and provide a service to others. This Policy explains how we will approach these situations.

Section 1 – What actions does the Practice consider to be unacceptable?

People may act out of character in times of trouble or distress. There may have been upsetting or distressing circumstances leading up to us being made aware of an issue or complaint. We do not view behaviour as unacceptable just because a patient is forceful or determined. In fact, we accept that being persistent may sometimes be a positive advantage when pursuing an issue or complaint. However, we do consider actions that result in unreasonable demands on our Practice or unreasonable behaviour towards Practice staff to be unacceptable. It is these actions that we aim to manage under this Policy.

Section 2 – Aggressive or abusive behaviour

We understand that patients may be angry about the issues they have raised with the Practice. If that anger escalates into aggression towards Practice staff, we consider that unacceptable. Any violence or abuse towards staff will not be accepted. Violence is not restricted to acts of aggression that may result in physical harm. It also includes behaviour or language (whether verbal or written) that may cause staff to feel offended, afraid, threatened or abused. We will judge each situation individually, and appreciate individuals who come to us may be upset.

Language which is designed to insult or degrade, is derogatory, racist, sexist, transphobic, or homophobic or which makes serious allegations that individuals have committed criminal, corrupt, perverse or unprofessional conduct of any kind, without any evidence, is unacceptable.

We may decide that comments aimed not at us, but at third parties, are unacceptable because of the effect that listening or reading them may have on our staff.

Section 3 – Unreasonable demands

A demand becomes unacceptable when it starts to (or when complying with the demand would) impact substantially on the work of the Practice. Examples of actions grouped under this heading include:

Repeatedly demanding responses within an unreasonable timescale
Repeatedly requesting early supplies of medication
Repeatedly requesting further supplies of stolen medication, without the required Police Incident number
Repeatedly ordering prescriptions outwith the set timeframe
Insisting on seeing or speaking to a particular member of staff when that is not possible
Repeatedly changing the substance of an issue or complaint or raising unrelated concerns
Repeatedly insisting on a course of medical treatment for which there is no clinical evidence
Not ensuring that a review appointment is in place, prior to ongoing medication finishing
An example of such impact would be that the demand takes up an excessive amount of staff time and in so doing disadvantages other patients

Section 4 – Unreasonable levels of contact

Sometimes the volume and duration of contact made to our Practice by an individual causes problems. This can occur over a short period, for example, a number of calls in one day or one hour. It may occur over the life-span of an issue when a patient repeatedly makes long telephone calls to us, or inundates us with letters or copies of information that have been sent already or that are irrelevant to the issue. We consider that the level of contact has become unacceptable when the amount of time spent talking to a patient on the telephone, or responding to, reviewing and filing emails or written correspondence impacts on our ability to deal with that issue, or with other Patients’ needs.

Section 5 – Unreasonable refusal to co-operate

When we are looking at an issue or complaint, we will ask the patient to work with us. This can include agreeing with us the issues or complaint we will look at; providing us with further information, evidence or comments on request; or helping us by summarising their concerns or completing a form for us.

Sometimes, a patient repeatedly refuses to cooperate and this makes it difficult for us to proceed. We will always seek to assist someone if they have a specific, genuine difficulty complying with a request. However, we consider it is unreasonable to bring an issue to us and then not respond to reasonable requests.

Section 6 – Unreasonable use of the complaints process

Individuals with complaints about the Practice have the right to pursue their concerns through a range of means. They also have the right to complain more than once about the Practice, if subsequent incidents occur. This contact becomes unreasonable when the effect of the repeated complaints is to harass, or to prevent us from pursuing a legitimate aim or implementing a legitimate decision. We consider access to a complaints system to be important and it will only be in exceptional circumstances that we would consider such repeated use is unacceptable – but we reserve the right to do so in such cases.

Section 7 – Examples of how we manage aggressive or abusive behaviour

The threat or use of physical violence, verbal abuse or harassment towards the Practice staff is likely to result in a warning from the Senior Management Team. We may report incidents to the Police – this will always be the case if physical violence is used or threatened.
Practice staff will end telephone calls if they consider the caller aggressive, abusive or offensive. Practice staff have the right to make this decision, to tell the caller that their behaviour is unacceptable and end the call if the behaviour persists.
We will not respond to correspondence (in any format) that contains statements that are abusive to staff or contain allegations that lack substantive evidence. Where we can, we will return the correspondence. We will explain why and say that we consider the language used to be offensive, unnecessary and unhelpful and ask the sender to stop using such language. We will state that we will not respond to their correspondence if the action or behaviour continues and may consider issuing a warning to the Patient.

Section 8 – Examples of how we deal with other categories of unreasonable behaviour

We have to take action when unreasonable behaviour impairs the functioning of our Practice. We aim to do this in a way that allows a Patient to progress through our process. We will try to ensure that any action we take is the minimum required to solve the problem, taking into account relevant personal circumstances including the seriousness of the issue(s) or complaint and the needs of the individual.

Section 9 – Other actions we may take

Where a patient repeatedly phones, visits the Practice, raises repeated issues, or sends large numbers of documents where their relevance isn’t clear, we may decide to:

• limit contact to telephone calls from the patient at set times on set days, about the issues raised

• restrict contact to a nominated member of the Practice staff who will deal with future calls or correspondence from the patient about their issues

• see the patient by appointment only

• restrict contact from the patient to writing only regarding the issues raised

• return any documents to the patient or, in extreme cases, advise the patient that further irrelevant documents will be destroyed

• take any other action that we consider appropriate

Where we consider continued correspondence on a wide range of issues to be excessive, we may tell the patient that only a certain number of issues will be considered in a given period and ask them to limit or focus their requests accordingly. In exceptional cases, we reserve the right to refuse to consider an issue, or future issues or complaints from an individual. We will take into account the impact on the individual and also whether there would be a broader public interest in considering the issue or complaint further. We will always tell the patient what action we are taking and why.

Section 10 – The process we follow to make decisions about unreasonable behaviour

Any member of the Practice staff who directly experiences aggressive or abusive behaviour from a Patient has the authority to deal immediately with that behaviour in a manner they consider appropriate to the situation and in line with this Policy
With the exception of such immediate decisions taken at the time of an incident, decisions to issue a warning or remove patients from our Practice List are only taken after careful consideration of the situation by the Senior Management
Wherever possible, we will give a patient the opportunity to change their behaviour or actions before a decision is taken

Section 11 – How we let people know we have made this decision

When a Practice employee makes an immediate decision in response to offensive, aggressive or abusive behaviour, the patient is advised at the time of the incident. When a decision has been made by Senior Management, a patient will always be given the reason in writing as to why a decision has been made to issue a warning (including the
duration and terms of the warning) or remove them from the Practice list. This ensures that the patient has a record of the decision.

Section 12 – How we record and review a decision to issue a warning

We record all incidents of unacceptable actions by patients. Where it is decided to issue a warning to a patient, an entry noting this is made in the relevant file and on appropriate computer records. Each quarter a report on all restrictions will be presented to our Senior Management Team so that they can ensure the policy is being applied appropriately. A decision to issue a warning to a patient as described above may be reconsidered either on request or on review.

Section 13 – The process for appealing a decision

It is important that a decision can be reconsidered. A patient can appeal a decision about the issuance of a warning or removal from the Practice list. If they do this, we will only consider arguments that relate to the warning or removal, and not to either the issue or complaint made to us, or to our decision to close a complaint.

An appeal could include, for example, a patient saying that: their actions were wrongly identified as unacceptable; the warning was disproportionate; or that it will adversely impact on the individual because of personal circumstances.

The Practice Manager or a GP Partner who was not involved in the original decision will consider the appeal. They have discretion to quash or vary the warning as they think best. They will make their decision based on the evidence available to them. They must advise the patient in writing that either the warning or removal still applies or a different course of action has been agreed. We may review the warning periodically or on further request after a period of time has passed. Each case is different.

This policy is subject to review

Walsall CCG Medicines Management team

Your NHS Data Matters

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 will always be 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 both the Practice and other organisations for research and planning, for example 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. However, if you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely, either 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 Your NHS data matters.

You can also view/download the leaflet below for your information.

Your Data Matters Leaflet

Your Rights and Responsibilities

Attending a busy GP Practice as a patient can be an anxious and worrying time for you. We aim to make your time here as short and as simple as possible and the following should help to explain what you, as a patient, can expect from our staff and what we, the staff, can expect from you.

Your Doctor’s Responsibilities

To treat you with respect and courtesy at all times
To treat you as an individual, and to discuss with you the care and treatment we can provide
To give you full information on the services we offer
To give you the most appropriate care by suitably qualified staff
To provide you with emergency care when you need it
To refer you to a suitable Consultant when necessary
To give you access to your health records, subject to any limitations in the law

Your Responsibilities as a Patient

To treat all staff with respect and courtesy at all times
To tell us if you are unsure about the treatment we are offering you
To ask for a home visit only when you are unable to attend the Practice through illness or infirmity
To request such a visit before 10.00 am, if possible
To ask for an out-of- hours visit only when necessary
Please ensure that you order your repeat medication in plenty of time allowing 48 working hours for your request to be processed
To keep to your appointment time (note: if you are more than 10 minutes late for your appointment you may not be seen)
To notify us at least 24 hours prior to an appointment if you cannot attend
To notify us of any changes to your personal details (e.g. name, address, telephone number, mobile numbers etc).

Citizens Advice England provides patients with a full array of information about your rights within the NHS.

Zero Tolerance 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 their 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.

Where patients are disruptive and display aggressive and/or intimidating behaviour and refuse to leave the premises, staff are instructed to dial 999 for Police assistance, and charges may then be brought against these individuals.

Data Controller contact details	Darlaston Family Practice
Data Protection Officer contact details	Michelle Wiles, Information Governance Manager, Information Governance Team, Civic Centre, St Peters Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SH, Email: [email protected]
Purpose of the processing	Transferring the current paper medical records into patients’ electronic medical records.
Lawful basis for processing	The following provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation permit us to digitise existing paper medical records: Article 6(1)(e) – ‘processing is necessary…in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller…’’ Article 9(2)(h) – ‘processing is necessary for the purpose of preventative…medicine…the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services…’
Recipient or categories of recipients of the processed data	The paper patient records will be shared with NEC, who will scan and digitise the current paper medical records before destroying them.
Right to access and correction	You have the right to access your medical record and have any errors or mistakes corrected. Please speak to a member of the reception team.
Retention period	GP medical records will be kept in line with the law and national guidance. Information on how long records can be kept can be found within the NHS Records Management Code of Practice or speak to the Practice. The paper medical records will be destroyed 60 days after they are transferred to an electronic format and written confirmation received from the practice in accordance with national standards.