Policies

We aim to provide the high quality, sustainable, care to you and would like to hear from you if you feel that there is something we could have done better.

We hope that most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.  If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally within a matter of days, or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily.

Complaints can be made by contacting us using our complaints and concerns form, by phone, in writing or by email at [email protected].

Alternatively complaints can be raised with the commissioner of our services – Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB by email to [email protected], by telephone on 0115 8839570 or by post at Patient Experience Team, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Nottingham Road, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 6LU.

You have the right to see your medical records and information held about you.

The easiest way to see your medical records is to apply for online access – this can be done from within your patient online account and the NHS App or by contacting reception.

Alternatively you can make a Subject Access Request in writing, at reception or by using our Subject Access Request Form.

Please contact the Practice for further information.

It is a requirement of the 2023 national contract that we must take steps to avoid asking patients to call back the following day. As a practice we seek to offer as many appointments as we can with the money that is available to us through our NHS contract; however this does not give us a limitless supply of appointments.

As such we operate a policy that seeks to ensure that patients receive the right care, from the right person, at the right time to meet their identified clinical need. As a practice we are required to consider the needs of all patients when providing appointments, which may mean that we have to offer any individual an appointment that meets their identified need, but may not necessarily be at a time that they want.

In order to achieve these contractual requirements, our team have been trained to ask specific questions to help to identify the appropriate care pathway and to respond appropriately. These responses might include

– signposting to an alternative community service that patients are able to self refer to

– signposting to other sources of information about health concerns and minor problems

– referral to local pharmacy services

– requesting additional structured information to help with the assessment of clinical need by asking patients to complete on online e-consultation

– advising patients to attend the local Urgent Care Centre and / or Emergency Department

– booking an urgent appointment with one of our clinicians

– booking a routine appointment with your regular clinician, even if this means the appointment will not be for some time; where such an appointment is not available, adding you to a waiting list for booking into such an appointment.

In order to reduce telephone waits, we would ask that patients do not recontact the practice once a care pathway has been identified unless asked to do so by the pathway provider or their condition has changed.

As we are now required to match the identified clinical need of each patient to an appropriate care pathway at the time of first contact, we are now unable to offer directly bookable appointments online or via the NHS App.

We are one of many organisations working in the health and care system to improve care for patients and the public. Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service. Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

– improving the quality and standards of care provided

– research into the development of new treatments

– preventing illness and diseases

– monitoring safety

– planning services

This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law.

Most of the time, anonymised data is used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information isn’t needed.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way.

If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters. On this web page you will:

– See what is meant by confidential patient information

– Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care

– Find out more about the benefits of sharing data

– Understand more about who uses the data

– Find out how your data is protected

– Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting

– Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone

– See the situations where the opt-out will not apply

You can also find out more about how patient information is used at:

https://www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients/ (which covers health and care research); and

https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/what-you-need-know (which covers how and why patient information is used, the safeguards and how decisions are made)

You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

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.

This practice is supporting vital health and care planning and research by sharing your data with NHS Digital. For more information about this see the GP Practice Privacy Notice for General Practice Data for Planning and Research.

Sometimes it may be necessary for our doctors and nurses to perform examinations and procedures that are invasive, intimate or sensitive in nature as part of your care. Chaperones are used to

– Ensure your privacy and dignity are protected

– Ensure you understand all the information given to you

– Provide support and reassurance

– Protect the healthcare professional

If you would like to have a chaperone present during any of these examinations or procedures please ask and one will be provided.

This statement is produced annually in accordance with the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act (2008) code of practice for the prevention and control of infection and related guidance.

Our Infection Prevention and Control lead  is Mr B Moorhouse (ANP & Managing Partner)

If you have any concerns about the cleanliness of our surgery, please let a member of the team know so that we can address the issue.​

The Information Commissioners Office has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt. We undertake to support relevant public bodies in meeting these obligations.

From 1st April 2015, all Practices are required under the 2015-2016 General Medical Services contract to allocate a named accountable GP to all practice patients.

The named accountable GP will take lead responsibility for the co-ordination of all services required under the contract and ensure, based on clinical judgement, they are delivered to patients where required.

A member of the Practice team will be able to confirm the name of your accountable GP. This does not prevent you seeing any Doctor or Practice Nurse of your choice.

If a patient expresses a preference as to which GP they are assigned to, the Practice will make reasonable efforts to accommodate their request.

Please speak to a member of the reception team if you require further information.

As a Practice we recognise that some patients may elect to receive some of their care from outside of the NHS.

Where this non-NHS funded care provision results in a request for the practice to enter into a shared care agreement (for monitoring, prescribing or both) the practice will consider each request against a two stage decision making process.

The first stage considers the suitability of the non-NHS provider as an organisation to enter into a shared care agreement with. Essentially this means that they must be delivering care that is of an equal standard (and with the same safeguards) as operates within the NHS. For example, the diagnostic process used must be at least equal to that used within the NHS.

The second stage considers the clinical appropriateness of the request being made. This includes an assessment of whether the activities the practice are being asked to undertake would normally be requested under an NHS funded shared care agreement; this includes confirming that any medications being requested are appropriate for prescribing in Primary Care (taking into due regard the recommendations of the local area prescribing committee). Under no circumstances will the practice prescribe any medication that is not approved for use under the NHS and by the local area prescribing committee.

The practice has a number of policies and procedures in relation to the safeguarding of adults, children and young people. These are necessary to ensure that we take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of our patients and the people that they may come into contact with. These policies are required by law and are fully compliant with the local authority’s multi-agency safeguarding framework.

All staff receive training in safeguarding appropriate to their role within the practice.

In line with the wider NHS, the Practice operates a zero tolerance policy regarding violence and aggression. Any persons committing an act of violence/abuse against any member of staff, patient or visitor at the practice will be reported to the police and may be removed from the practice list.