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.

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.

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.

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.

How we use 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, when they refer you to a specialist in a hospital. Or 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 or locally Leeds Care record. For more information see our privacy notice on our practice website.
• 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 factual mistakes or errors corrected.

Other important information about how your information is used to provide you with healthcare

Registering for NHS care

• All patients who receive NHS care are registered on a national database.
• This database holds your name, address, date of birth and NHS Number but it does not hold information about the care you receive.
• The database is held by NHS Digital a national organisation which has legal responsibilities to collect NHS data.

Identifying patients who might be at risk of certain diseases

• Your medical records will be searched by a computer programme so that we can identify patients who might be at high risk from certain diseases such as heart disease or unplanned admissions to hospital.
• This means we can offer patients additional care or support as early as possible.
• This process will involve linking information from your GP record with information from other health or social care services you have used.
• Information which identifies you will only be seen by this practice.

Safeguarding

• Sometimes we need to share information so that other people, including healthcare staff, children or others with safeguarding needs, are protected from risk of harm.
• These circumstances are rare.
• We do not need your consent or agreement to do this.
• Your medical records will be searched by a computer programme so that we can identify patients who might be at high risk from certain diseases such as heart disease or unplanned admissions to hospital.
• This means we can offer patients additional care or support as early as possible.
• This process will involve linking information from your GP record with information from other health or social care services you have used.
• Information which identifies you will only be seen by this practice.

Safeguarding

• Sometimes we need to share information so that other people, including healthcare staff, children or others with safeguarding needs, are protected from risk of harm.
• These circumstances are rare.
• We do not need your consent or agreement to do this.

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

Medical research

We share 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 at times use your medical records to carry out research within the practice.

If we share information with medical research organisations we would do this with your explicit consent or when the law allows. 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

We contribute 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 is 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.
• 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.

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

The law requires practices 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.

National screening programmes

• 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.

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. All NHS bodies and private and third sector providers supplying NHS services are required by law to take account of this Constitution in their decisions and actions. Further information about the NHS Constitution (DH, 2012) is available.

www.nhs.uk/nhsconstitution

A list of the most relevant patient and service user policies can be found below. Information on other policies, or a full copy of a policy can be requested by contacting the Practice Manager in writing. Please contact Martin Turner, Staveleigh Medical Centre, King Street, Stalybridge, Cheshire, SK15 2AE or email m.turner2@nhs.net. The Practice will aim to provide the requested information within 30 days of receiving the request.

Advanced Directives Policy

Assistance Dogs Policy

Carers Policy

Chaperone Policy

Cultural & Beliefs Policy

Employee/ Candidate Privacy Notice

Equal Opportunities Policy

Equality & Diversity Policy

Freedom of Information Act Policy

How we use your medical records

Military Veterans Policy

Modern Slavery Policy

NHS Constitution Policy

Parental Rights Policy

Patient Access to Medical Records Policy

Practice Charter & Patient Leaflet

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.