Practice Policies & Patient Information
Care Quality Commission
Under the Health and Social Care Act (2008), from 1 April 2013 all providers of NHS general practice (and other primary medical services) must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
People have a right to expect safe, high quality care. As a regulator of health and social care in England, CQC plays a vital role in making sure that care services meet those expectations.
All registered GP providers are now legally required to meet the national standards of quality and safety.
Care Quality Commission Standards for GP practice Booklet pdf
CQC 2 of 2 Report 18/11/19
Stainland Road Medical Centre
Complaints
We welcome feedback about your experiences, as it lets the practice know what we are doing well and where we could improve.
Talk to us.
Stainland Road Medical Centre is committed to providing high-quality, person-centred care and treatment that’s both safe and effective. However, we understand that there are times when things go wrong. If something goes wrong, or you’re dissatisfied with what we have or haven’t done, tell us and we’ll do our best to put things right. If we can’t resolve matters in the way you want, we’ll explain why it’s not possible to do as you suggest.
Understandably, you might be upset or distressed when formally raising concerns about you or your loved one’s care. As a result of this, our practice team will treat you with respect and dignity throughout this emotional time. It’s expected you show the same courtesy to them.
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and allow us to improve our services.
Who to talk to
You can speak to any member of staff initially about your concerns. This allows us to work with you to resolve any concern you may have without going through a formal process. Most complaints are best resolved within the practice, and formal complaints should be made via our Complaints Manager.
For more information, please see attached.
Confidentiality/Access to Medical Records
Patient records are extremely confidential and notes are only shared externally with those involved with the patients care e.g. hospital consultants.
Patients must give their consent if information is requested from other organisations e.g. insurance companies.
How to get your medical records
Medical records hold information about you. They are also sometimes called health records.
You’ll have separate records for any NHS service you go to including your GP surgery, hospital, dentist or opticians.
How to get your record depends on which record it is.
How to get your GP record
Your GP record includes information like any conditions or allergies you have and any medicine you’re taking.
Most patients will automatically be given access to more information added to their GP record from November 2022 onwards. This includes letters, test results and appointment notes.
Some people may also have access to information added to their GP record before this date.
You can access your GP record and nominate someone you trust to access it too.
Important information:
Some types of information are automatically uploaded to your medical record and there may be occasions when this is displayed before a clinician has had chance to review and discuss an outcome with the patient.
Patients will not be able to see all entries on their record. This is because some types of information that is entered by other health care professionals will not be visible on the online patient record.
Electronic Patient Records
Patient Online Access to Their GP Record
NHS England require practices to promote and offer the facility to enable patients online access to appointments, prescriptions, allergies and adverse reactions.
Stainland Road Medical Centre confirm that they currently offer online facilities for booking & cancelling appointments, for ordering repeat prescriptions and access to patient summary records. This is done by the SystmOne Online facility. If you do not already have a user name and password for this system – you can register for this service at reception – please note you will be asked for I.D e.g. passport /driving licence.
We are also allowing patients to request Coded Data access as from 31st March 2016. Any patient who already has or is requesting online access after this date can request coded data access. This will be subject to GP approval. There is currently a technical issue with the system nationally regarding this access and although the practice will accept applications, granting this access may be delayed until this issue is resolved – this is still unresolved 26/04/16
GP to GP Record Transfers
NHS England require practices to utilise the GP2GP facility for the transfer of patient records between practices, when a patient registers or de-registers (not for temporary registration).
It is very important that you are registered with a doctor at all times. If you leave your GP and register with a new GP, your medical records will be removed from your previous doctor and forwarded on to your new GP via NHS England. It can take your paper records several weeks to reach your new surgery.
With GP to GP record transfers your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.
Stainland Road Medical Centre confirms that GP to GP transfers are already active in this practice.
GP Earnings
Publication of Earnings
It is a contractual requirement for practices to publish their mean average earnings. Practices must;
- Publish details on their website.
- If asked this must also be available in paper copy or you can show the patient the information posted on the website.
The calculation excludes certain types of income and the rules are complex and open to interpretation.
Full time GP’s are defined in the guidance as working eight sessions or more. The number of GP’s includes salaried GP’s and locums who worked full or part time for 6 months or more.
The required disclosure for your practice is shown below. However, it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.
All GP practices are required to declare the mean net earnings (eg. Average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice. This is required in the interests of the greater public accountability recognising GP pay is ultimately funded from tax paid by the public.
The average pay for GPs working in Stainland Road Medical Centre in the last financial year 2022-23 was £110,441 before tax and national insurance. This is for 1 full time GPs and 7 part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
Practice Charter
The Responsibilities of the Practice
To give you absolute confidentiality and privacy in accordance with professional guidelines.
To treat you with respect and courtesy at all times.
To treat you as an individual, and to discuss with you the care and treatment we can provide.
To give you the most appropriate care by suitably qualified staff.
To provide you with urgent care when you need it during the times we are open.
To refer you to a consultant acceptable to you when necessary.
To give you access to your health records, subject to any limitations in the law.
Your Responsibilities as a Patient
To treat all staff with respect and courtesy at all times. The Practice will not tolerate any form of verbal or physical abuse.
To ask for a home visit only when the patient is unable to attend the surgery through illness or infirmity. If a home visit may be required please make this request before 11 o’clock in the morning.
To ask for an out of hours visit only when necessary.
To keep your appointments and to make separate appointments for each patient wishing to see the Doctor, One appointment per problem.
To let us know when you change your address or telephone number.
To be patient when the health worker you have come to see is delayed for any reason.
Privacy Notice
Sharing your Medical Records
Your Data Matter to the NHS
Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments.
In May 2018, the strict rules about how this data can and cannot be used were strengthened. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.
You can choose whether your confidential patient information is used for research and planning.
To find out more visit nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters
Patient leaflet Your Data Matters to the NHS.pdf
Enhanced data Sharing Model
Sharing Your Information (enhanced Data Sharing Model)
At the Stainland Road Medical Centre we, along with many other surgeries and other health care providers in the area we use a clinical computer system called SystmOne to record your information and medical history. The developer of SystmOne has recently implemented what is known as the Enhanced Data Sharing Model in order for it to meet it’s responsibilities under the NHS Care Records Guarantee and also the Data Protection Act.
This allows health professionals involved in your care to access your medical records – so they can see what we have and we can see what they have. For example if you are having treatment from the District Nurse team the GP will be able to see that and take into account when planning your treatment.
Your consent to this process has been assumed but you can withhold your consent by telling us. You can also withhold consent on behalf of your children or anyone whom you have Power of Attorney.
The Clinical Commissioning Group have provided information about this change and it is recommended that patients who wish to share their medical record with other healthcare providers read this information fully.
Information leaflet A patient’s guide
Risk Profiling Enhanced Service
Using information from your health records, a secure NHS computer system will look any any recent treatments you have had in hospital or at this surgery, and any existing health conditions that you have, and alert your doctor to the likelihood of a possible future hospital admission. The clinical team at the surgery will use the information to help you get early care and treatment where it is needed.
The information will be seen only by qualified health workers involved in your care. NHS security systems will protect your health information and patient confidentiality at all times.
If you don’t want your information being used in this way please contact the surgery.
Social Media
The practice welcomes all patient feedback – positive or negative, but if you do have any concerns we would prefer you write to us directly as per the complaints procedure below.
Please be aware that posting anything on-line that may construed as slanderous, inflammatory or derogatory will be treated as abuse and in line with our zero tolerance policy (see above)
Summary Care Record
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I know if I have one?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP.
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS Care records website.
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:
- Getting it right
- Being customer focused
- Being open and accountable
- Acting fairly and proportionately
- Putting things right
- 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: [email protected]
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.
or see the website
Zero Tolerance
This practice has a Zero Tolerance Policy. This means we will not accept any abuse, verbal or otherwise, from members of the public. Such action may result in you being asked to find another doctor.