Confidentiality & Medical Records
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. This requires your consent.
- 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 Health Board 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.
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.
Access to Records
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Named GP
From the 1st April 2015, all practices are required to inform all patients of their named accountable GP. This is part of the GMS contract change for 2015 – 2016 that was agreed between the BMA’s General Practitioners Committee and NHS Employers.
This means that practices will need to ensure that each patient on their practice list is assigned a named, accountable GP.
Courtyard Surgery operate a usual doctor list and most patients are already aware of their usual GP. We do however, provide this information on repeat prescription counterfoils and will advise patients when they contact us or attend for appointments when requested.
New patients will be informed who their usual doctor is on registration.
The named GP will not take on 24 hour responsibility for the patient or make a change to their working hours, the requirement does not imply personal availability of GP’s throughout the working week. The named GP cannot reasonably be expected to be the only GP to care for the patient. Courtyard surgery operate a duty doctor system to cover when a doctor is on leave Patients who wish to change their accountable doctor must put their request in writing to the practice manager.
Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
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 please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.
Contact information for Healthwatch
Healthwatch West Sussex Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (IHCAS)
Telephone 0300 012 0122
Email helpdesk@healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk
Address: The Billingshurst Community Centre, Roman way, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9QW
Violence Policy
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. 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.
Publication of GP net earnings 2016/17
Average pay of practitioners working at the Albion Medical Group £76,768
Number of Full-time G.Ps 8
Number of Part-time G.Ps 1
Number of locums who worked six months or more in the financial year 2016/17 0
Note: The average pay figure is before payment of Income tax, National Insurance,
Employee pension costs and is net of practice expenses