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
Complaints
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
How to Complain
If you do decide to make a formal complaint, letters should be addressed to the
Practice Manager.
We will then
- Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 2 working days.
- Investigate your complaint.
- Offer to meet with you to discuss the matter in more detail, if this is appropriate.
- Offer a full, written explanation within 30 working days. If for any reason we are unable to obtain all the necessary information within that time scale, we will keep you informed of the reasons for delay.
The aim of the Complaints Procedure is, wherever possible, to resolve problems locally. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you should contact:
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
1 Ffordd Yr Hen Gae
Pencoed
CF35 5LJ
0845 6010987
E-mail: ask@ombudsman-wales.org.uk
www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk
You should contact the Ombudsman within 1 year of when you first noticed the matters alleged in the complaint.
Time Limits
It is important that you make your complaint as soon as possible after the problem arises. Usually the NHS will only investigate complaints that are either:
- Made within 12 months of the event or
- Made within 12 months of you realising that you have something to complain about, as long as it is not more than 12 months after the event itself.
An independent Lay Conciliator can be provided to help facilitate a meeting between yourself and the Practice. You may also wish to bring a friend or relative with you.
Practice In-House Complaints Procedure
The doctors and staff of this surgery want to provide you with a good service. But sometimes things do go wrong, and you may want to complain, or maybe just tell us about your concerns or suggest improvements.
Your suggestions, compliments and complaints will help us to provide you with a better service.
This leaflet explains the Practice In-House Complaints Procedure which we operate in line with the NHS Complaints Guidance Putting Things Right – Raising a concern about the NHS from 1st April 2011.
Please be assured that all your comments and complaints will be handled with complete discretion and that confidentiality will be maintained at all times. All information regarding your complaint will be handled in compliance with the Data Protection Act. If you are unable to make your complaint yourself, anyone acting on your behalf would need to have your written authority. Where a patient is unable to give written consent, we will need evidence that you are their next of kin, or have their agreement, before we proceed. You and your family will not be penalised, nor will your healthcare be adversely affected by making a complaint.
Help in making your complaint:
The Community Health Council is independent of the NHS and can offer help, advice and advocacy. You can contact the CHC at:
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Community Health Council
Water Street Business Centre
Water Street
Aberafan
Neath Port Talbot
SA12 6LF
Telephone number 01639 892271
Violent or Abusive Patients
The surgery will not tolerate violence or abusive behaviour on the practice premises.
Patients, who are violent or abusive to any member of the practice team, or its visitors, will be removed from the practice list with immediate effect. The incident will also be reported to the police (this includes any abusive entries on Social Networking sites e.g. Facebook and Twitter).