Lambgates Health Centre - Surgery policies on confidentiality, comments and suggestions, data protection etc

Confidentiality

Confidentiality The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

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

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

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

Freedom of Information

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt by 1st January 2009.

Model Publication Scheme - further information

Comments & Suggestions

We constantly strive to give you the best possible care and attention. If you have any suggestions or are unhappy about any aspect of our service please ask to see the practice manager who will be more than happy to listen to your suggestions / comments.

The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

Getting it right
Being customer focused
Being open and accountable
Acting fairly and proportionately
Putting things right
Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.

So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.

PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.

What does PALS do?

In particular, PALS will:

Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry
Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally
Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.

Find out more

If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the standards it should strive to achieve , follow this link.

Practice Charter

We have a Practice Charter in operation for the mutual benefit of both patients and Practice displayed in the waiting room.

Rights & Responsibilities

Patients have a right to be treated as an individual without prejudice and a right of access to the appropriate healthcare. Patients should be courteous to all staff and all other people and patients on the premises at all times. They should be on time for all appointments and give advance notice for all cancellations. Patients should also take notice of any health advice given and be responsible for their own healthcare.

Violent / Abusive Patients

Actions may be taken if a patient is violent or abusive to staff, doctors or others. Lambgates has a zero tolerance towards patients who are verbally or physically abusive towards staff.

We will immediately remove violent or abusive patients from our list and inform the Primary Care Trust.

We will contact the police, if necessary, to remove any violent or abusive patient.

Noticeboard

Women's Aid is the key national charity working to end domestic violence against women and children. We support a network of over 500 domestic and sexual violence services across the UK.

www.womensaid.org.uk

Me2

A support group in the HighPeak area for children or young people aged between 5 to 15 years who have experienced domestic abuse. We focus on feelings, anger management, self esteem and families, mainly through play and creativity.

We also offer one to one support

If you would like more information about the Me2 groups, or the one to one support please contact Gail or Holly on 01457 856675 , or send an email to cafoutreach@gwa.f2s.com and we will be happy to answer any questions.