EL Certificate

The surgery prides itself on maintaining professional standards. For certain examinations, during consultations, an impartial observer (a ‘chaperone’) will be required.

This impartial observer will be a practice nurse or healthcare assistant who is familiar with the procedure and be available to reassure and raise any concerns on your behalf. If a nurse is unavailable at the time of your consultation, then your examination may be rescheduled for another time.

You are free to decline any examination or choose an alternative examiner or chaperone. You may also request a chaperone for any examination or consultation if one is not offered to you. The GP may not undertake an examination if a chaperone is declined.

The role of a chaperone:

• Maintains professional boundaries during intimate examinations
• Acknowledges a patient’s vulnerability
• Provides emotional comfort and reassurance
• Assists in the examination
• Assists with undressing patients, if required

The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation.

Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent
• When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases, anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the health board and government plan services e.g. for diabetic care

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, you can fill in a summary care record opt out form.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Access to records

In accordance with the Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

Your data matters to the NHS

Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

How your data is used

Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.

Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.

You have a choice

You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

Will choosing this opt out affect your care and treatment?

No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.

What do you need to do?

If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.

To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to change your opt out choice, please see NHS: Choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning.

We are continually looking to turn patient feedback into real improvements in the services we provide. We use it to focus on the things that matter most to our patients, carers and their families.

Giving feedback

To provide feedback:

• feedback to Healthwatch
• take part in the Friends & Family Test
• leave a review on the NHS website
• phone us on 01366310301

Making a complaint

We aim to provide you with the best possible medical service. At times you may feel that we have not achieved this and want to make your feelings known. Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.

Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably within writing, as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.

The period for making a complaint is normally:

• 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint occurred
• 12 months from the date on which the event which is the subject of the complaint comes to the complainant’s notice

If you are a registered patient, you can complain about your own care.

Complaints can be sent in writing to:

The Hollies Surgery

Downham Market Health Centre

Paradise Road

Downham Market

PE38 9JE

Complaining on behalf of someone else

We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality.

If you wish to make a complaint but are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient. This is to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it.

Please ask at reception for a complaints form which includes a statement of authority that the patient can sign. Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident, it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this in your covering letter. Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the above circumstances apply.

Confidentiality

All complaints must be treated in the strictest confidence.

Where the investigation of the complaint requires consideration of the patient’s medical records, the practice manager must inform the patient or person acting on his or 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.

The surgery must keep a record of all complaints and copies of all correspondence relating to complaints but such records must be kept separate from the patient’s medical records.

The surgery has an annual review of complaints received within the year and the learning issues or changes to procedures which have arisen are documented.

The average pay for GPs working in Litcham Health Centre in the last financial year was £18,441 before tax and national insurance. This is for two full time GPs, one part time GPs and zero locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

Why Does NHS Digital Collect Data?

• NHS Digital is legally responsible for all health and care data in England

• So they are responsible for collecting, analysing and sharing it.

• They have done this for over 10 years.

How is it Used?

• Research the long-term impact of coronavirus on the population

• Understand whether certain groups of people are getting fair access to care

• Research and develop cures for serious illnesses

• NHS Digital confirmed they will never share with marketing or insurance companies

• Only shared with trusted NHS and research organisations

What data is taken from the practice?

• This data will be shared from 1 September 2021. Data may be shared from the GP medical records about:

• Patients registered at the practice

• Will not collect patients’ names or addresses.

• Any data that could identify you is replaced with a code

• NHS Digital will collect structured and coded data from patient medical records.

We would like to make it clear that there are two types of opt out.

Type 1 applies at practice level and means that your medical record is not extracted from the practice for any purpose other than direct care.

Type 2 (National Data Opt Out) means data can go to NHS Digital for their lawful purposes but cannot be shared with organisation beyond NHS Digital for research and planning purposes.

If you wish to apply Type 1 Opt Out, please let us know and we will apply this at locally to your clinical record. This will mean you data is not extracted on the 1st of September 2021.

If you wish to apply Type 2 National Data Opt Out you must do this directly with NHS Digital. You can do this in a few ways:

1. By following the instructions here https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice/
2. Emailing enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk
3. Calling 0300 303 5678 (lines are open Monday -Friday 9am-5pm)
4. Writing to:National Data Opt Out Contact Centre
   NHS Digital,
   HM Government,
   7 and 8 Wellington Place,
   Leeds,
   LS1 4AP

Your information

Litcham Health Centre & The Hollies Surgery takes privacy seriously and we want to provide you with information about your rights, who we share your information with and how we keep it secure.

For more information about the practice and data protection please see the following links.

• Our data protection blog

• Case finding and profiling

• Norfolk data sharing and partners

• Provider processors (PDF)

• Processing activities log (PDF)

• Phone recording

• Transparency

There is a central NHS computer system called the summary care record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had. Over time it will build to include information about other health issues considered important to your wellbeing.

Why do I need a summary care record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.

This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your summary care record.

How do I know if I have one?

Over half of the population of England now have a summary care record. You can find out whether summary care records have come to your area by asking the surgery directly.

Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete the summary care opt out form.

More Information

For further information please see NHS: View your GP health record.

This Practice supports the Government’s Zero Tolerance Campaign. Violence and abuse is a growing concern. GPs and their staff have the right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. Violent patients will be reported to the police and struck off the practice list.

We ask that you treat your GP and their staff properly – without violence or abuse.