Practice Charter

Patient Rights And Responsibilities

You have a right to expect a high standard of medical care from our practice, and we will try at all times to provide the very best care possible within the resources available.

In order to assist us in this we require that you take full responsibility for ensuring that you do not abuse the service. For example, it is your responsibility to ensure that you keep medical appointments and follow the medical advice given.

Very occasionally, a patient/practice relationship breaks down completely. In this situation the patient may choose to register with a different practice. The practice also has the right to remove that patient from their list. This would generally only follow a warning that had failed to remedy the situation and we would normally give the patient a specific reason for the removal.

Suggestion/Complaint?

A suggestion box is available in the waiting area and we would value your contributions. If you have any complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or staff working in this practice, we would ask you to contact the business manager who will be pleased to assist you and investigate your problem, which we will try to resolve within 25 working days. You can, however, seek help from NHSTelford and Wrekin on (01952) 580300; they provide a conciliation service.

If, however, your complaint is not resolved, you may ask the Healthcare Commission to review your case. You should make your request within two months of your reply from the practice. The Healthcare Commission can be contacted by telephone on 0845 601 3012 or by letter at: Healthcare Commission, FREEPOST NAT 18958, Complaints Investigation Team, Manchester M1 9XZ or visit their website at www.healthcarecommission.org.uk

Violent Patients - Zero Tolerance

The NHS operates a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse, and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons.

Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical behaviour or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person's safety.

In this situation we are obliged to notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in their medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it. NHS Telford and Wrekin is then responsible for providing further medical care for such patients.

Access To Medical Records

All patients are entitled under the Data Protection Act (1998) and the Access to Health Records Act 1990 to check any data concerning them, held in their medical records and on computer, is accurate. Any requests should be made in writing to the business manager.

Confidentiality/Access To Patient Data

Confidential patient data will be shared within the practice health care team and with other care professionals to whom you are referred for care. Your data may be used by those clinical teams providing your care for the essential purpose of clinical audit.

Confidential patient data may also be required for the broader purpose of public health, the provision of health care services, teaching and training. Data disclosed will be kept to the minimum required to serve the purpose and if possible will be anonymised before disclosure.

Confidential and identifiable patient information will not be disclosed otherwise without explicit consent unless:

(1) It is a matter of life and death or serious harm to you or to another individual

(2) It is overwhelmingly in the public interest to do so

(3) There is a legal obligation to do so.

In all of these circumstances the minimum identifiable information that is essential to serve the purpose may be revealed to someone with a legal entitlement to access the data for that purpose.

All individuals with access to your data have a professional and/or contractual duty of confidentiality.

If you are concerned about any of the ways in which your confidential data is accessed, further information is available from the Business Manager. You are entitled to register an objection, which will be respected if this is possible.

Freedom Of Information – Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme.