Confidentiality

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

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt by 1st January 2009. 

FOI 

Practice Privacy Notice

Your data, privacy and the Law.

How we use your medical records

This Practice handles medical records according to the laws on data protection and confidentiality. Medical records are shared with other health professionals who are involved in providing you with care and treatment, on a need to know basis and event by event. Some of your data is automatically copied to the Summary Care Record and we may share some of your data with urgent or emergency care services. Data about you is used to manage national screening campaigns such as Flu, Cervical Cytology and Diabetes Prevention. Data about you, usually de-identified, is used to manage the NHS and make payments and also used to check the quality of care provided by the NHS. We share information when the law requires us to, for instance when we are inspected or reporting certain illnesses or safeguarding vulnerable people. We may also share medical records for medical research.

For more information please ask Reception for a copy of the full privacy notice.

Chafford Hundred Medical Centre is one of many practices 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. 

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.

Data being used or shared for purposes beyond individual care does not include your data being shared with insurance companies or used for marketing purposes and data would only be used in this way with your specific agreement.

Comments & Complaints

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working at the practice, please let us know.

We operate a practice complaints procedure, which meets national criteria, as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Complaints should be addressed to the Practice Manager or any of the doctors.

Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the Practice Manager in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure to you and ensure that your complaint is dealt with promptly.

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:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. 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.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

Summary Care Record

Summary Care Records have been introduced in England as part of the NHS Care Records Service and these are available for healthcare professionals to access the most up-to-date information wherever in the country you need care. 

All patients have a Summary Care Record created which contains information from your care record (current prescriptions, allergies, reactions to treatment) and any other information that you have agreed should be included. 

You can decide not to have a Summary Care Record at all and if so you will need to complete an Opt Out Form which is available from Reception. 

Further information and advice is available from the Patient Advice & Liaison Service (0800 587 9159).

What Your Doctor And The Staff Should Reasonably Expect From You, The Patient

• To be treated with the same courtesy and respect you yourself would expect
• Honesty and openness
• Not to expect a prescription every time you see your doctor - they are quite often unnecessary
• To follow the advice given
• To switch off mobile telephones when in the surgery
• To remember that it is not the receptionists’ fault if a doctor or nurse runs late
• To ensure that any of the facilities are not abused

What You Should Reasonably Expect From The Doctors And Staff

• To be treated as an individual and given courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious belief, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems
• Staff to be easily identifiable
• Staff to maintain your right to privacy
• Appointments to be available at reception six weeks in advance for you to book follow-up times
• To have the right to a full explanation of your illness and any tests, investigations or conclusions relating to that condition. You must tell us if you do not understand the explanation

The practice operates a “zero tolerance” approach to both verbal abuse and violence. Any act of this nature will result in the immediate removal from our list. Where there is a serious breakdown of the patient/doctor relationship, we reserve the right to remove patients from our list.

Safeguarding Children Policy Statement

Under the 1989 and 2004 Children Acts a child or young person is anyone under the age of 18 years .

Dr T Abela & Partners are committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for children.  We believe that it is unacceptable for a child to experience abuse of any kind and we recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children, by a commitment to practice which protects them.

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Provide protection for all children who are registered with us.
• Provide all staff with guidance on procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a child may be experiencing, or be at risk of, harm - including how to make a referral.
• Provide all staff with guidance on what will happen if an allegation is made against them.

This policy applies to all clinical and non-clinical staff.

We recognise that:

• The welfare of the child is paramount.
• All children regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse and have the right to freedom from abuse.
• Working in partnership with children, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare and enable children to have the best outcome (working together 2015)
• All our staff need to be carefully selected and trained, and accept responsibility for safeguarding children.

We will endeavour to safeguard children by:

• Valuing them, listening to and respecting them.
• Adopting child protection guidelines and statutory requirements through detailed procedures.
• Adopting a code of conduct for staff, parents and visitors.
• Responding quickly and appropriately to all suspicions or allegations of abuse or issues relating to child welfare.
• Working in partnership with parents, carers, families and children and providing them with the opportunities to voice any concerns they may have.
• Recruiting staff safely and ensuring all necessary checks are made.
• Sharing information about child protection and good practice with parents and staff.
• Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving parents and children appropriately.
• Providing effective management for all staff through induction, supervision, support and appropriate safeguarding training.
• Ensuring that confidential information is stored and managed in accordance with national guidance
• Remain aware of safeguarding children and young people procedures,local policies and SET procedures 2015 and maintain links with other bodies, especially the commissioning body's appointed contacts.

We are also committed to ensuring that our Safeguarding Children policies and procedures are continually reviewed and updated.

This policy has been produced in line with the Government publication and the statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements set out in SET Multi Agency Child Protection Procedures Manual (2011) and RCGP Safeguarding Children & Young People Toolkit 2014.

These policies should be read in conjunction with Southend Essex and Thurrock (SET) Safeguarding Children and Young People Procedures ,which are available at :- https://thurrock.gov.uk/sites/default/fies/assets/documents/set procedueres 2015.

Safeguarding Adult Policy Statement

Dr T Abela & Partners are committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for its patients.  We believe that it is unacceptable for anybody to experience abuse of any kind and we recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all, by a commitment to practice which protects them.

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Provide protection for all adults who are registered with us.
• Safeguard adults at risk of abuse or neglect by identifying and clarifying how relationships between health and other systems work at both strategic and operational levels.
• Clearly set out the legal framework for safeguarding adults:promote empowerment and autonomy for adults, including those who lack capacity as embodied in the Mental Capacity Act 2005, implementing an approach which appropriately balances this with safeguarding.
• Outline principles, attitudes, expectations and ways of working that recognise that safeguarding is everybody's business and that the safety and well being of those in vulnerable circumstances is at the forefront of our business. 
• Provide all staff with guidance on procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a adult may be experiencing, or be at risk of, harm - including how to make a referral.
• Provide all staff with guidance on what will happen if an allegation is made against them.

This policy applies to all clinical and non-clinical staff.

We recognise that:

• The welfare of the adult is paramount.
• All adults regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse and have the right to freedom from abuse.
• All our staff need to be carefully selected and trained, and accept responsibility for safeguarding adults.

We will endeavour to safeguard adults by:

• Valuing them, listening to and respecting them.
• Adopting adult protection guidelines and statutory requirements through detailed procedures.
• Successfully applying the six principles of safeguarding - Empowerment, Protection, Prevention, Proportionality, Partnerships, Accountability.
• Adopting a code of conduct for staff.
• Responding quickly and appropriately to all suspicions or allegations of abuse or issues relating to adult welfare.
• Recruiting staff safely and ensuring all necessary checks are made.
• Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know.
• Providing effective management for all staff through induction, supervision, support and appropriate safeguarding training.
• Ensuring that confidential information is stored and managed in accordance with national guidance

We are also committed to ensuring that our Safeguarding Adults policies and procedures are continually reviewed and updated.

Further Guidance is available on local inter-agency procedures via social services, or https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/keeping-safe-from-abuse/safeguarding-adults-agency-guidelines (SET)

The practice policy is also in line with Thurrock CCG's policy.

CCTV

Closed circuit Television (CCTV) is installed at the Practice premises for the purposes of staff, patient and premises security. Cameras are located at various places on the premises and images from the cameras are recorded. Access to stored images will be controlled on a restricted basis within the Practice.

The Practice Manager is the Data Controller under Section 4(4) of the Data Protection Act 1998 ("the 1998 Act").

TELEPHONE RECORDING

All telephone calls are recorded for training purposes.

This policy provides the Practice with a process for the management of requests for personal information (for living individuals) under the Data Protection Act (DPA), the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and (for deceased individuals) the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

Under the Data Protection Act, subject to certain conditions, an individual is entitled to be:

• Told whether any personal data is being processed;
• Given a description of the personal data, the reasons it is being processed, and whether it will be given to any other organisations or people; and
• Given a copy of the information comprising the data; and given details of the source of the data (where this is available).

Individuals wishing to exercise their right of access should:

• Make a written application to the Practice holding the records, including via email
• Provide such further information as the Practice may require to sufficiently identify the individual

The request must be complied with without delay and at least within one calendar month of receipt of the request. This period can be extended for a further two months where requests are complex or numerous, however the Practice must inform the individual within one month of receipt of the request and explain why the extension is necessary.

COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

The applicant has the right to appeal against the decision of the Practice to refuse access to their information. This appeal should be made to the Practice Manager.

If individuals remain unhappy with the Practice response, they have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office:

https://www.ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us.

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Email: casework@ico.gsi.gov.uk