Practice Policies & Patient Information
Access to Patients Records/Details
Health care professionals must not pass on information about you without your written permission except to other people involved in your treatment.
Chaperones
Chaperones are available to all patients, they are designed to protect both patients and staff from abuse or allegations of abuse and to assist patients to make an informed choice about their examinations and consultations.
Please ask a member of our team for further details if you are unsure if a chaperone is appropriate or you would like one present during your consultation.
Complaints
If you feel the need to complain about any service you have received from the practice please call the reception desk and ask to speak to the complaints manager who will be willing to discuss your problem in the hope of resolving the matter instantly.
If you wish to put your complaint in writing please address your letter for the attention of the complaints manager and it will be acknowledged by informing you the matter is receiving attention and will be fully investigated.
When investigations have been completed you will then receive an invitation to come to the surgery at your convenience to try to resolve all matters causing the problem.
Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides a right of access to a wide range of information held by public authorities, including the NHS. The purpose is to promote greater openness and accountability.
Please contact the GP surgery for further details.
GDPR 2018
Littletown Family Medical Practice
Fair Processing & Privacy Notice
- https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/information-governance/guidance/example-supplementary-privacy-note-covid-19-patientsservice-users/
- https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/information-governance/guidance/example-supplementary-privacy-note-covid-19-patientsservice-users
Your Information, Your Rights
Being transparent and providing accessible information to patients about how we will use your personal information is a key element of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
The following notice reminds you of your rights in respect of the above legislation and how your GP Practice will use your information for lawful purposes in order to deliver your care and the effective management of the local NHS system.
This notice reflects how we use the information for:
- The management of patient records;
- Communication concerning your clinical, social and supported care;
- Ensuring the quality of your care and the best clinical outcomes are achieved through clinical audit and retrospective review;
- Participation in health and social care research; and
- The management and clinical planning of services to ensure that appropriate care is in place for our patients today and in the future.
Data Controller
As your registered GP practice, we are the data controller for any personal data that we hold about you.
What Information do we Collect and Use?
All personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully, whether is it received directly from you or from a third party in relation to your care.
We will collect the following types of information from you or about you from a third party (provider organisation) engaged in the delivery of your care:
‘Personal data’ meaning any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified from the data. This includes, but is not limited to name, date of birth, full postcode, address, next of kin and NHS number
And
‘Special category / sensitive data’ such as medical history including details of appointments and contact with you, medication, emergency appointments and admissions, clinical notes, treatments, results of investigations, supportive care arrangements, social care status, race, ethnic origin, genetics and sexual orientation.
Your healthcare records contain information about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. from an acute hospital, GP surgery, community care provider, mental health care provider, walk-in centre, social services). These records may be electronic, a paper record or a mixture of both. We use a combination of technologies and working practices to ensure that we keep your information secure and confidential.
Why do we Collect this Information?
The NHS Act 2006 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012 invests statutory functions on GP Practices to promote and provide the health service in England, improve quality of services, reduce inequalities, conduct research, review performance of services and deliver education and training. To do this we will need to process your information in accordance with current data protection legislation to:
- Protect your vital interests;
- Pursue our legitimate interests as a provider of medical care, particularly where the individual is a child or a vulnerable adult;
- Perform tasks in the public’s interest;
- Deliver preventative medicine, medical diagnosis, medical research; and
Manage the health and social care system and services.
How is Information Collected?
Your information will be collected either electronically using a secure NHS Mail or a secure electronic transferred over an NHS encrypted network connection. In addition, physical information will be sent to your practice. This information will be retained within your GP’s electronic patient record or within your physical medical records.
Who will we share your information with?
In order to deliver and coordinate your health and social care, we may share information with the following organisations:
- Local GP Practices in order to deliver extended primary care services
- NHS Oldham, Pennine Acute Hospitals or other secondary care providers as necessary
- 111 and Out of Hours Service
- Local Social Services and Community Care services
- Voluntary Support Organisations commissioned to provide services by [Oldham CCG/Health Board]
Your information will only be shared if it is appropriate for the provision of your care or required to satisfy our statutory function and legal obligations.
Your information will not be transferred outside of the European Union.
Whilst we might share your information with the above organisations, we may also receive information from them to ensure that your medical records are kept up to date and so that your GP can provide the appropriate care.
In addition, we may receive data from NHS Digital (as directed by the Department of Health) such as the uptake of flu vaccinations and disease prevalence in order to assist us to improve “out of hospital care.”
How do we Maintain the Confidentiality of Your Records?
We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information that has been collected lawfully. Every member of staff who works for an NHS organisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential. We maintain our duty of confidentiality by conducting annual training and awareness, ensuring access to personal data is limited to the appropriate staff and information is only shared with organisations and individuals that have a legitimate and legal basis for access.
Information is not held for longer than is necessary. We will hold your information in accordance with the Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care 2016.
Consent and Objections
Do I Need to Give my Consent
The GDPR sets a high standard for consent. Consent means offering people genuine choice and control over how their data is used. When consent is used properly, it helps you build trust and enhance your reputation. However, consent is only one potential lawful basis for processing information. Therefore your GP practice may not need to seek your explicit consent for every instance of processing and sharing your information, on the condition that the processing is carried out in accordance with this notice. Your GP Practice will contact you if they are required to share your information for any other purpose which is not mentioned within this notice. Your consent will be documented within your electronic patient record.
What Will Happen if I Withhold my Consent or Raise an Objection?
You have the right to write to withdraw your consent at any time for any particular instance of processing, provided consent is the legal basis for the processing. Please contact your GP Practice for further information and to raise your objection.
Health Risk Screening / Risk Stratification
Health Risk Screening or Risk Stratification is a process that helps your GP to determine whether you are at risk of an unplanned admission or deterioration in health. By using selected information such as age, gender, NHS number, diagnosis, existing long term condition(s), medication history, patterns of hospital attendances, admissions and periods of access to community care your GP will be able to judge if you are likely to need more support and care from time to time, or if the right services are in place to support the local population’s needs.
To summarise Risk Stratification is used in the NHS to:
- Help decide if a patient is at a greater risk of suffering from a particular condition;
- Prevent an emergency admission;
- Identify if a patient needs medical help to prevent a health condition from getting worse; and/or
- Review and amend the provision of current health and social care services.
Your GP will use computer-based algorithms or calculations to identify their registered patients who are at most risk, with support from the local Commissioning Support Unit and/or a third party accredited Risk Stratification provider.
The risk stratification contracts are arranged by Oldham CCG/Health Board in accordance with the current Section 251 Agreement. Neither the CSU nor your local CCG will at any time have access to your personal or confidential data. They will only act on behalf of your GP to organise the risk stratification service with appropriate contractual technical and security measures in place.
Your GP will routinely conduct the risk stratification process outside of your GP appointment. This process is conducted electronically and without human intervention. The resulting report is then reviewed by a multidisciplinary team of staff within the Practice. This may result in contact being made with you if alterations to the provision of your care are identified.
A Section 251 Agreement is where the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has granted permission for personal data to be used for the purposes of risk stratification, in acknowledgement that it would overburden the NHS to conduct manual reviews of all patient registers held by individual providers.
As mentioned above, you have the right to object to your information being used in this way. However, you should be aware that your objection may have a negative impact on the timely and proactive provision of your direct care. Please contact the Practice Manager to discuss how disclosure of your personal data can be limited.
Sharing of Electronic Patient Records Within the NHS
Electronic patient records are kept in most places where you receive healthcare. Our local electronic system EMIS enables your record to be shared with organisations involved in your direct care, such as:
- GP practices.
- Community services such as district nurses, rehabilitation services, telehealth and out of hospital services.
- Child health services that undertake routine treatment or health screening.
- Urgent care organisations, minor injury units or out of hours services.
- Community hospitals.
- Palliative care hospitals.
- Care Homes.
- Mental Health Trusts.
- Hospitals.
- Social Care organisations.
- Pharmacies.
In addition, NHS England has implemented the Summary Care Record which contains information including medication you are taking and any bad reactions to medication that you have had in the past.
In most cases, particularly for patients with complex conditions and care arrangements, the shared electronic health record plays a vital role in delivering the best care and a coordinated response, taking into account all aspects of a person’s physical and mental health.
Many patients are understandably not able to provide a full account of their care, or may not be in a position to do so. The shared record means patients do not have to repeat their medical history in every care setting.
Your record will be automatically setup to be shared with the organisations listed above however, you have the right to ask your GP to disable this function or restrict access to specific elements of your record. This will mean that the information recorded by your GP will not be visible in any other care setting.
You can also reinstate your consent at any time by giving your permission to override your previous dissent.
Invoice Validation
If you have received treatment within the NHS, the local Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) may require access to your personal information to determine which Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for payment for the treatment or procedures you have received. Information such as your name, address, date of treatment and associated treatment code may be passed onto the CSU to enable them to process the bill. These details are held in a secure environment and kept confidential. This information is only used to validate invoices in accordance with the current Section 251 Agreement, and will not be shared for any further commissioning purposes.
Your Right of Access to Your Records
The Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulations allows you to find out what information is held about you including information held within your medical records, either in electronic or physical format. This is known as the “right of subject access”. If you would like to have access to all or part of your records, you can make a request in writing to the organisation that you believe holds your information. This can be your GP or a provider that is or has delivered your treatment and care. You should however be aware that some details within your health records may be exempt from disclosure, however, this will be in the interests of your wellbeing or to protect the identity of a third party. If you would like access to your GP record please submit your request in writing to:
Littletown Family Medical Practice
53 Manchester Road
Oldham
OL8 4LR
Complaints
In the event that your feel your GP Practice has not complied with the current data protection legislation, either in responding to your request or in our general processing of your personal information, you should raise your concerns in the first instance in writing to the Practice Manager at:
Littletown Family Medical Practice
53 Manchester Road
Oldham
OL8 4LR
If you remain dissatisfied with our response you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF – Enquiry Line: 01625 545700 or online at www.ico.gov.uk
GP Earnings
All GP practices are required to declare their mean earnings (average GP pay)for GP’s working to deliver NHS services in the practice to the patients.
“The average pay for GP’s working in Littletown Medical Practice in the financial year ended 31st March 2018 was £50,827 before tax and national insurance. This is for 1 full-time GP and 2 part-time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months”
Infection Control
This practice is committed to the control of infection within the building and in relation to the clinical procedures carried out within it
Waste, including unused medicines and sharps are not accepted by patients or members of the public as the practice is not a licensed waste contractor. Patients are to be directed to community pharmacies. Practices sharing premises with producers employed by other organisations should be careful that other waste is not mixed with theirs, as unknown hazardous content or incorrectly handled waste may be attributed to the practice and result in prosecution and significant fines.
Please click the link attached to ‘Our Documents’ page to see our General Infection Control Policy.
Please click the link attached to ‘Our Documents’ page to see our Clinical Waste Policy.
Medical Records
You can apply to see your own medical records but you can also apply
- On behalf of your child, with your child’s consent, if your doctor decides it is in the best interest of your child.
- On behalf of someone who is not capable of giving their permission, you would have to go through a court to be able to do this.
- To see the records of someone who has died if you are acting as their personal representative.
- A charge is applicable for all of the above.
Mission Statement
“The high quality of healthcare we provide will be backed by efficient and effective service, responsive to patient demand and accessible to all.”
Non NHS Work
The doctor is often asked to perform private medicals, complete forms or write letters on behalf of patients. This is not NHS work and therefore a charge is applicable for this type of work. Please contact the surgery for a price list.
Practice Charter
Patient confidentiality to be respected at all times.
2. All patients to be treated equally and with courtesy at all times, difficulties to be dealt with swiftly and efficiently.
3. Patients are to be encouraged to take advantage of the services provided and to recognise the pressures and demands made on the practice.
4. Requests for repeat prescriptions are to be dealt with within 24 hours.
5. To encourage all of our staff to make comments, suggestions and to partake in decision making within the practice.
6. The practice will be open to suggestions from the patients on how to improve our services.
Registered Patients
Registered patients have a right to an appointment regardless of whether you have been seen or not over the last 3 years. You may be asked to attend the surgery for a patient health check.
Registered patients aged 75 years and over have a right to an appointment regardless of whether you have been seen or not over the past 1 year. You may be asked to attend the surgery for a patient health check.
Social Media Patient Policy
There are many social media platforms that are widely used by both staff and patients; these include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
At the Littletown Family Medical Medical Practice we have a Facebook page and Google business page, which provide a range of useful information for our patient population.
Littletown Family Medical Practice has a duty to maintain patient confidentiality and to safeguard vulnerable patients.
You can help us achieve this by adhering to the code of conduct outlined in this policy.
Patients at the Littletown family Medical Practice are expected to adhere to the following code of conduct at all times:
- The practice requires all users of portable devices to use them in a courteous and considerate manner, respecting their fellow patients. Portable devices are not to be used during consultations.
- Patients are not permitted to disclose any patient-identifiable information about other patients unless they have the express consent of that patient.
- Patients must not post any material that is inaccurate, fraudulent, harassing, embarrassing, obscene, defamatory or unlawful. Any such posts on the practice Facebook page or Google business page will be deleted by the Practice Manager and the post reported.
- Patients are not permitted to take photographs in the waiting room or areas where other patients are present, nor are photographs of staff permitted.
- Patients must not post comments on social media that identify staff who work at the practice.
- Patients are to use NHS Choices should they wish to leave a review about Littletown Family Medical Practice. This will enable the Practice Manager to respond appropriately.
- Defamatory comments about our team are not to be shared on any social media platform. Legal advice will be sought and the appropriate action taken against any patient who posts defamatory comments.
Patient Complaints on Social Media
We have a separate complaints policy which patients are to use should they wish to make a complaint. We will only respond to complaints made to the practice in accordance with the practice policy.
Violent or Abusive Patients
The practice operates a zero-tolerance policy towards violent or abusive patients. Any patient that is abusive towards a member of staff will be removed from the list and reported to the police.