Practice Policies & Patient Information

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.

How to complain

We hope that most concerns can be addressed with ease at the time they arise and with the person concerned. However if your concern cannot be resolved in this way and you wish to make a complaint you can do so

In writing via post marked for the attention of the ‘Complaints lead’

Or

Verbally, by requesting to speak with the ‘Complaints lead’.

Further written information is available on the complaints procedure from reception.

We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located at reception.

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.

• Address: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP
  Tel: 0345 015 4033
  Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

Complaining to NHS England

You can complain or give feedback:

By post to:
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

By email to: england.contactus@nhs.net
By telephone: 0300 311 22 33

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.
• 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 Department of Health 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.

The practice conforms to the Freedom of Information Act.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 aims to produce a culture of openness in public bodies, by providing members of the public with the right to access information held. The main purpose behind this is to show how public money is being used.

The practice is registered under this Act and complies with the NHS Approved Publication Scheme.

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

The average pay for GPs who worked for six months or more in in the last financial year was £56,450 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 2 full-time GP’s, 7 part-time GP’s and 1 locum GP.

Important information for patients

• This practice handles medical records in-line with laws on data protection and confidentiality.
• We share medical records with those who are involved in providing you with care and treatment.
• In some circumstances we will also share medical records for medical research, for example to find out more about why people get ill.
• We share information when the law requires us to do so, for example, to prevent infectious diseases from spreading or to check the care being provided to you is safe.
• You have the right to be given a copy of your medical record.
• You have the right to object to your medical records being shared with those who provide you with care.
• You have the right to object to your information being used for medical research and to plan health services.
• You have the right to have any mistakes corrected and to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Please see the practice privacy notice on the website or speak to a member of staff for more information about your rights.

Lane End Medical Privacy Notice

How your information is used for medical research and to measure the quality of care

Medical Research

Lane End Medical Group shares information from medical records:

• to support medical research when the law allows us to do so, for example to learn more about why people get ill and what treatments might work best;
• we will also use your medical records to carry out research within the practice.

This is important because:

• the use of information from GP medical records is very useful in developing new treatments and medicines;
• medical researchers use information from medical records to help answer important questions about illnesses and disease so that improvements can be made to the care and treatment patients receive.

We share information with the following medical research organisations with your explicit consent or when the law allows: Barcode, Noclor
You have the right to object to your identifiable information being used or shared for medical research purposes. Please speak to the practice if you wish to object

Checking the quality of care – national clinical audits

Lane End Medical Group contributes to national clinical audits so that healthcare can be checked and reviewed.

• Information from medical records can help doctors and other healthcare workers measure and check the quality of care which is provided to you.
• The results of the checks or audits can show where hospitals are doing well and where they need to improve.
• The results of the checks or audits are used to recommend improvements to patient care.
• Data are sent to NHS Digital, a national body with legal responsibilities to collect data.
• The data will include information about you, such as your NHS Number and date of birth and information about your health which is recorded in coded form – for example the code for diabetes or high blood pressure.
• We will only share your information for national clinical audits or checking purposes when the law allows.
• For more information about national clinical audits see the Healthcare Quality Improvements Partnership website: https://www.hqip.org.uk/ or phone 020 7997 7370.
• You have the right to object to your identifiable information being shared for national clinical audits. Please contact the practice if you wish to object.

• The NHS provides national screening programmes so that certain diseases can be detected at an early stage.
• These screening programmes include bowel cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, aortic aneurysms and a diabetic eye screening service.
• The law allows us to share your contact information with Public Health England so that you can be invited to the relevant screening programme.
• More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/topic/population-screening-programmes or speak to the practice.

We are required by law to provide you with the following information about how we handle your information in relation to our legal obligations to share data.

Data Controller contact details: Lane End Medical Group, 2 Penshurst Gardens, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 9GJ

Data Protection Officer contact details: Manisha Patel – 0208 958 4233

Purpose of the processing

• The NHS provides several national health screening programmes to detect diseases or conditions early such as cervical and breast cancer, aortic aneurysm and diabetes.
• The information is shared so that the correct people are invited for screening. This means those who are most at risk can be offered treatment.

Lawful basis for processing

The following sections of the GDPR allow us to contact patients for screening:

• Article 6(1)(e) – ‘processing is necessary…in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller…’’
• Article 9(2)(h) – ‘processing is necessary for the purpose of preventative…medicine…the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services…’

Recipient or categories of recipients of the processed data

• The data will be shared with Barnet Hospital

Rights to object

For national screening programmes, you can opt out, so that you no longer receive an invitation to a screening programme.

• See: www.gov.uk

Or speak tothe practice.

Right to access and correct

• You have the right to access your medical record and have any errors or mistakes corrected. Please speak to a member of staff or look at our ‘subject access request’ policy on the practice website
• We are not aware of any circumstances in which you will have the right to delete correct information from your medical record; although you are free to obtain your own legal advice if you believe there is no lawful purpose for which we hold the information and contact us if you hold a different view.

Retention period

GP medical records will be kept in line with the law and national guidance.
Information on how long records can be kept can be found at:

• digital.nhs.uk

or speak to the practice.

Right to complain

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. If you wish to complain follow this link

• ico.org.uk
• or call the helpline 0303 123 1113

Data we get from other organisations

We receive information about your health from other organisations who are involved in providing you with health and social care. For example, if you go to hospital for treatment or an operation the hospital will send us a letter to let us know what happens. This means your GP medical record is kept up-to date when you receive care from other parts of the health service.

Website Privacy Notice

Please see below for further information regarding our Safeguarding procedures:

Deprivation of liberty safeguards

Adult protection – safeguarding adults

Child protection – safeguarding children

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

How your information is shared so that this practice can meet legal requirements

The law requires Lane End Medical Group to share information from your medical records in certain circumstances. Information is shared so that the NHS or Public Health England can, for example:

• plan and manage services;
• check that the care being provided is safe;
• prevent infectious diseases from spreading.

We will share information with NHS Digital, the Care Quality Commission and local health protection team (or Public Health England) when the law requires us to do so. Please see below for more information.

We must also share your information if a court of law orders us to do so.

NHS Digital

• NHS Digital is a national body which has legal responsibilities to collect information about health and social care services.
• It collects information from across the NHS in England and provides reports on how the NHS is performing. These reports help to plan and improve services to patients.
• This practice must comply with the law and will send data to NHS Digital, for example, when it is told to do so by the Secretary of State for Health or NHS England under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
• More information about NHS Digital and how it uses information can be found at: digital.nhs.uk

How Lane End Medical Group uses your information to provide you with healthcare

This practice keeps medical records confidential and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation. We hold your medical record so that we can provide you with safe care and treatment.

We will also use your information so that this practice can check and review the quality of the care we provide. This helps us to improve our services to you.

• We will share relevant information from your medical record with other health or social care staff or organisations when they provide you with care. For example, your GP will share information when they refer you to a specialist in a hospital. Or your GP will send details about your prescription to your chosen pharmacy.
• Healthcare staff working in A&E and out of hours care will also have access to your information. For example, it is important that staff who are treating you in an emergency know if you have any allergic reactions. This will involve the use of your Summary Care Record. For more information see: digital.nhs.uk or alternatively speak to your practice.
• You have the right to object to information being shared for your own care. Please speak to the practice if you wish to object. You also have the right to have any mistakes or errors corrected.

Lane End Medical Group is an accredited training practice for medical students from University College London. These future doctors observe consultations to develop their clinical skills. You will be asked for your consent prior to any consultation.

We also train qualified doctors wishing to specialise in general practice (registrars). These fully qualified doctors are with us for a period of 6 to 12 months to refine their skills and broaden their experience. They are fully supported by the partners in the practice, three of whom are Trainers.

The consultation is the cornerstone of general practice and registrars may wish to have their skills assessed through videoing their work. This will only be done with the patient’s written consent. These videos are only shown to other doctors for teaching purposes. At the end of a consultation you have the right to withdraw consent for the use of the video.