OTHER
INFORMATION
Non-Discrimination Policy
We are committed to equal opportunities regardless of gender, sexual orientation,
age, colour, race or religion.
Access To Medical Records
You are welcome to view your medical records at any time. Please contact your
GP or the practice manager if you would like this to be arranged.
Complaints Procedure
We try to provide the best service possible, but there may be times when you
feel this has not happened. We are happy to accept and consider comments and
suggestions from our patients. In the event of a complaint, first contact the
practice manager in person, by phone or by letter. We aim to resolve the majority
of complaints at local level by complying with the practice complaints procedure
in the first instance. An interpreter can be arranged if needed. If we are unable
to resolve your complaint your right to complain to the health board is in no
way affected. You may have the right to assistance from independent advocacy
services.
Zero Tolerance
Policy
No abuse of staff or any other person on the practice premises is acceptable
whether verbal or physical. The practice defines aggressive behaviour to be any
personal, abusive and aggressive comments, bad language, physical contact and
aggressive gestures.
Verbal or aggressive behaviour will be reported to the practice manager who will
keep a log of all incidents. Physical abuse of any staff member will be reported
to the police and the patient will be removed immediately from the list.
Freedom Of Information - Publication Scheme
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 obliges the practice to produce
a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the 'classes' of information
the practice intends to routinely make available.
This scheme is available from reception.
Responsibilities Of The Patient
Patients should attend their appointments at the arranged time. If this is not
possible they should inform the surgery as soon as possible. We expect that patients
will understand that appointments are for one person only. Additional appointments
should be made for more than one person.
Patients are responsible for their own health and the health of their children.
They should co-operate with the practice in endeavouring to keep themselves healthy
by acting on the professional help and advice we give them.
Requests for help and advice for non-urgent matters should be made during surgery
hours only. Many problems can be solved by advice alone - patients should not
always expect a prescription.
Home visits should only be requested for patients who are seriously ill or housebound.
Patients should realise that home visits are made at the discretion of the doctor.
Requests for visits and advice at night should only be made for emergencies.
We ask that patients treat the staff and doctors with courtesy and respect. Bear
in mind that reception staff have a difficult job to do. They are trying to do
their best for you and do not have detailed medical knowledge.
Your Personal Health Information
To provide you with the care you need, we hold the details of your consultations,
illnesses, tests, prescriptions and other treatments that have been recorded
by everyone involved in your care and treatment eg GP, health visitor, practice
nurse. This information may be stored on paper or electronically on computer
files by practice staff.
We sometimes release details of your personal health information to other health
organisations involved in your care. For example, when your GP refers you to
a specialist at the hospital we will send relevant details about you in the referral
letter and receive information about you from them. Our practice also participates
in regional and national programmes such as the cervical cytology screening service
and your name and address, date of birth and health number would be given to
them in order for them to send you an invitation.
We need to use some of your personal health information for administrative purposes.
In order to receive payment for services provided to you, we have to disclose
basic details about you to the NHS Board responsible for this area and to the
Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service. These organisations have
a role in protecting public funds, and are authorised to check that payments
are being properly made. We are required to co-operate with these checks and
the disclosure of your data is a necessary part of our provision of healthcare
services.
Sometimes we may participate in studies that are designed to improve the way
services are provided to you or to check that our performance meets required
standards and benchmarks. Whenever we take part in activities such as these we
will ensure that as far as possible any details that may identify you are not
disclosed.
We are sometimes involved in health research and the teaching of student nurses,
doctors and other health professionals. We will not use or disclose your personal
health information for these purposes unless you have been informed beforehand
and given your consent for us to do so.
All patients in Scotland will have an Emergency Care Summary. This is a summary
of basic information about your health which might be important if you need urgent
medical care when the GP surgery is closed or when you go to an Accident and
Emergency department. It means that all the NHS staff looking after you can get
important information about your health, even if they cannot contact your GP
surgery.
Where you need a service jointly provided with a local authority we will seek
your permission before giving them your details.
Sometimes we are required by law to pass on information. For example, it is a
legal requirement that we notify the government of: births and deaths; certain
diseases; perpetration of certain crimes.
Our use of your personal health information is covered by a duty of confidentiality,
and is regulated by the Data Protection Act. The Data Protection Act gives you
a number of rights in relation to how your personal information is used, including
a right to access the information we hold about you.
Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential
and adhere to a code of practice on protecting patient confidentiality. Further
information on this can be found at www.nhsis.co.uk/confidentiality. Anyone who
receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.
If you have any queries or concerns on how we use your personal health information,
or would like to access your information, please contact our practice manager.
