Practice Policies & Patient Information

Chaperone Policy

We will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are advisable – these will only be carried out with your express agreement and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.

GDPR – Data Protection

GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation

The strict rules about your health and care data can and cannot be used were strengthened. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.

To find out more visit http://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.

You can also download our surgery leaflets/policies below:

How We Use Your Information

The following IT systems are in use at the practice:

Referral Management (using NHS numbers in referrals)
Electronic Appointment Booking (the facility to book routine appointments online and, similarly, to cancel appointments
Online booking of repeat prescriptions
Summary Care Record (uploading details of your current medication and allergies to the national “spine” so that these are available for doctors involved in your care elsewhere)
GP to GP transfers (the electronic transfer of records from practice to practice when you re-register
Patient Access to records (the facility to view your medical records online).

If you would like access to your medical records enabled or would like to opt out of the local or national summary care record, please contact reception. Please see our Patient Access to Medical Records Policy.

https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice/

National Opt-Out Information

If you do not want your identifiable patient data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except for your own care, you can register an opt-out with your GP practice. This is known as a Type 1 Opt-out.

Type 1 Opt-outs were introduced in 2013 for data sharing from GP practices, but may be discontinued in the future as a new opt-out has since been introduced to cover the broader health and care system, called the National Data Opt-out. If this happens people who have registered a Type 1 Opt-out will be informed.

NHS Digital will not collect any patient data for patients who have already registered a Type 1 Opt-out in line with current policy. If this changes patients who have registered a Type 1 Opt-out will be informed.

If you do not want your patient data shared with NHS Digital, you can register a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice. You can register a Type 1 Opt-out at any time. You can also change your mind at any time and withdraw a Type 1 Opt-out.

Data sharing with NHS Digital will start on 1 September 2021.

If you have already registered a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice your data will not be shared with NHS Digital.

If you wish to register a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice before data sharing starts with NHS Digital, this should be done by you to your GP practice. If you have previously registered a Type 1 Opt-out and you would like to withdraw this, you can also use the form to do this. You can send the form by post or email to your GP practice or call 0300 3035678 for a form to be sent out to you.

If you register a Type 1 Opt-out after your patient data has already been shared with NHS Digital, no more of your data will be shared with NHS Digital. NHS Digital will however still hold the patient data which was shared with us before you registered the Type 1 Opt-out.

Click here to visit the NHS Make Your Choice page.

Summary Care Record

Your patient record is held securely and confidentially on the electronic system at your GP practice. If you require treatment in another NHS healthcare setting such as an Emergency Department or Minor Injury Unit, those treating you would be better able to give you appropriate care if some of the information from the GP practice were available to them.

This information can now be shared electronically via: The Summary Care Record, used nationally across England

The information will be used only by authorised health care professionals directly involved in your care. Your permission will be asked before the information is accessed, unless the clinician is unable to ask you and there is a clinical reason for access.

If you would like to opt out, please ask reception for our opt out form or download the form from the link at the foot of the page.

A parent or guardian can request to opt out children under 16 but ultimately it is the GP’s decision whether to create the records or not, because of their duty of care to the child. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 and feel that they are able to understand, then you should make this information available to them.

Who Has Access?

Across all health care settings, including urgent care, community care and outpatient departments in England.

Information Source

GP record

Content

Your current medications
Any allergies you have
Any bad reactions you have had to medicines
Additional information (upon request to your GP)

For more information and for downloadable versions of the opt out forms please visit: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr/summary-care-records-scr-information-for-patients

GP Earnings

All GP Practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for Doctors working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GPs working in Aylmer Lodge Cookley Partnership in the last financial year was £94,504.00 before tax and National Insurance.

This is for 4 full time GPs, 4 part time GPs and 0 locum GPs who worked in the practice for longer than six months.

Non NHS Work

The NHS provides free health care for most people.

It is important to understand that GPs are self-employed and not all of the services we provide are covered by the NHS payments to the practice, so please expect a fee for Non-NHS services.

We also offer private medicals which may be needed by any agency, such as your employer. Medical examinations for special purposes such as pre-employment, fitness to travel, elderly drivers, and fitness to undertake sports will require longer than a routine appointment.

We have taken into account the time involved in the service as well as the level of responsibility that the doctor is being asked to assume.

Our charges (correct as of September 2024) are listed here but may be subject to change, especially in cases with extensive medical records or if additional time is required.

Suggestions & Complaints

Want to make a Complaint/Comment or Suggestion?

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

To pursue a complaint you may complete this form and the practice manager will deal with your concerns appropriately. You can also make a verbal complaint or put your complaint in writing. It will be dealt with as per the NHS Complaints policy.

Please see the leaflet below for further information.

Complaints Leaflet

Training

GP and Nurse Training

The practice is a long established training practice, involved in speciality training of new GPs. There are usually one or two doctors working temporarily at the practice during the final years of their GP training scheme. These are experienced qualified doctors receiving training under guidance.

We also host medical students under the tutorship of Drs Cole and Singh, student nurse placements from Worcester University and have participated in the work experience placement scheme for 6th form students planning to undertake a medical degree.

Violence Policy

The Practice staff shall always show due respect and courtesy when dealing with patients and their representatives. We respectfully request that patients and their representatives do the same when dealing with members of the practice team.

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

No form of aggression (whether verbal or physical in nature) will be tolerated – any instances of such behaviour on the practice premises may result in the perpetrator being reported to the Police and removed from the practice’s List of Registered Patients.

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.

Accessible Information

Aylmer Lodge Cookley Partnership follows the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) set by NHS England.

The Practice will ensure that that patients and service users (and where appropriate carers and parents) who have information or communication needs relating to a disability, impairment or sensory loss receive accessible information and communication support. The Practice will ensure that all correspondence affords patients the opportunity to have their individual information or communication needs met.

The Practice will also ensure that the current contact details for access to properly qualified persons who are registered language interpreters, interpreters for deafblind persons or who use sign language and other assisted communication methods are available in reception. Patients who require a language interpreter will be allocated a 20 minute appointment slot. The Practice will ensure that only persons who are registered interpreters, properly qualified, insured and DBS checked to Enhanced Disclosure level are used.

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