Practice Policies & Patient Information
Chaperones
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they consider one is required. The chaperone may be a family member or friend, but on occasions a formal chaperone may be preferred.
Patients are advised to ask for a chaperone if required, at the time of booking an appointment, if possible, so that arrangements can be made and the appointment is not delayed in any way. The Healthcare Professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations.
Communication from Primary Care Support England
You may receive letters from time to time from PCSE to confirm your current address. You must respond to this correspondence otherwise your name may be automatically deducted from the practice list thinking that you are no longer living at that address.
Confidentiality
Patient notes are always treated with the strictest confidentiality and we comply with the Data Protection Act 2018.
Sharing Information With Others
We do not disclose confidential medical information regarding patients either verbally or in writing without the consent of the individual concerned to anyone else. With this in mind, any patient aged 16 and over must provide consent before we can share their private medical record with another person.
We understand that this may been seen as us being difficult and unhelpful by some, but we must respect and protect our patients’ information. We commonly have requests for information from partners, parents for a child over 16, children of elderly parents, etc. We are not trying to hinder your support; we must abide by the law.
If you are a patient who would like a third party to have access to your medical records please come into the surgery and ask our receptionists for a consent form. Once filled in and returned we will make a note of this in your records.
Personal Health Information
Personal Health Information will only be shared with other medical professionals with your knowledge and consent.
Information requested by non-medical professionals will only be supplied with your written consent.
Sharing Information
Information about you and the care you receive is shared, in a secure system, by healthcare staff to support your treatment and care.
It is important that we, the NHS, can use this information to plan and improve services for all patients. We would like to link information from all the different places where you receive care, such as your GP, hospital and community service, to help us provide a full picture. This will allow us to compare the care you received in one area against the care you received in another, so we can see what has worked best.
Information such as your postcode and NHS number, but not your name, will be used to link your records in a secure system, so your identity is protected. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning health services, to make sure we provide the best care possible for everyone.
How your information is used and shared is controlled by law and strict rules are in place to protect your privacy.
We need to make sure that you know this is happening and the choices you have.
Find Out More
Freedom of Information – Publication Scheme
The practice Publication Scheme provides details of the information available to the public under this Act.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised and run. The practice will respond to requests about information it holds subject to some exemptions covered by other legislation.
In addition you are entitled to request information about the practice under the NHS Openness Code 1995.
Please contact the practice manager in the first instance for details and information available under the publication scheme.
GP Earnings
GP Earnings for the Financial Year ending 30 June 2021
All GP Practices are required to declare mean earnings (i.e. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in the practice of Drs. J. K. Pandya M.B.E. and S. Pandya in the last financial year was £62,555 before tax and National Insurance.
This is for 2 full time GPs, 2 part time GPs and 3 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
GP Earnings for the Financial Year ending 30 June 2020
All GP Practices are required to declare mean earnings (i.e. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in the practice of Drs. J. K. Pandya M.B.E. and S. Pandya in the last financial year was £34,934 before tax and National Insurance.
This is for 2 full time GPs and 15 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.
GP Earnings for the Financial Year ending 30 June 2019
All GP Practices are required to declare mean earnings (i.e. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GPs working in the practice of Drs. J. K. Pandya M.B.E. and S. Pandya in the last financial year was £36,222 before tax and National Insurance.
This is for 2 full time GPs and 10 locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.
Late Patient Policy
Patients are expected to arrive in good time for their appointments.
If patients arrive more than 10 minutes late, they have missed their appointment and may need to rebook. This is to prevent delays to the GP sessions and to ensure fairness for patients who have arrived on time.
We appreciate the effort our patients make to attend on time and therefore do our best to run as close to booked appointment times as possible. Adhering to a Late Patient Policy assists us in doing so. However, due to the nature of a GP surgery, sometimes the clinician may be running behind. When the clinician is running late our reception staff will advise the patients upon arrival and apologise to them for the delay.
When a patient is less than 10 minutes late:
The receptionist will book the patient in, but advise them they are late for their appointment and remind them that they must attend on time in the future.
If applicable, the receptionist may advise them that the clinician is now seeing the next patient and that they may have an extended waiting time, as the clinician will see patients who arrived on time first.
When a patient is 10 or more minutes late:
Patients who arrive 10 or more minutes late have therefore missed their appointment and may be advised to rebook a new routine appointment.
If the patient indicates that there is a medically urgent reason they need to see a clinician that day, the receptionist can ask the reason and discuss this with the clinician.
Further Information:
If the clinician has an urgent clinical need to see a particular patient, they will advise reception in advance that the patient may be “arrived” even if they arrive more than 10 minutes late.
If a patient calls ahead to say they will be late, this does not alter the policy. If they are going to be late, the receptionist may advise them on the phone that they should rebook, rather than waste a journey. If it is appropriate to do so in this circumstance, you may be offered to change your face-to-face appointment to a telephone appointment.
Named GP
You may be aware that all practices are required to provide all their patients with a named GP who will have overall responsibility for the care and support that our surgery provides to them.
Dr Sejal Pandya will be the named GP who has overall responsibility for the health care and support that our GP practice provides to you. This does not prevent you from seeing any GP in the practice as you currently do. All the clinicians at the practice will continue to manage your health care in the same way as previously.
You do not need to take any further action.
National Data Opt-out
How the NHS and Care Services use your Information
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. On this web page you will:
- See what is meant by confidential patient information
- Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care
- Find out more about the benefits of sharing data
- Understand more about who uses the data
- Find out how your data is protected
- Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting
- Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone
- See the situations where the opt-out will not apply
You can also find out more about how patient information is used by visiting:
- www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients (which covers health and care research)
- www.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.
Health and care organisations had until 2020 to put systems and processes in place so they can be compliant with the national data opt-out and apply your choice to any confidential patient information they use or share for purposes beyond your individual care. Our organisation is currently compliant with the national data opt-out policy.
Our Policies
Our staff are committed to providing quality healthcare for the benefit of all of our patients. View our policies to see how this is achieved.
Thank you in advance for your co-operation in following the practice policies. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need any assistance.
Privacy Notice
This privacy notice lets you know what happens to any personal data that you give to us, or any information that we may collect from you or about you from other organisations.
This privacy notice applies to personal information processed by or on behalf of the practice.
Privacy Statement
Our Duties
As part of our legal duties, this practice is required to;
- Maintain full and accurate records of the care and services we provide you
- Keep records about you confidential and secure
Your Information
The practice aims to provide you with safe, high quality care that is based on accurate, up to date information.
This information allows us to work others involved in your care and this may involve sharing information with other health and social care organisations.
Information Includes;
- Basic details such as address, date of birth and next of kin
- Contact we have had with you
- Notes and reports about your health
- Details and records about your treatment and care
Others may also need to use records about you to:
- Check the quality of care you are receiving
- Protect the health of the general public
- Keep track of NHS spending
- Help investigate any concerns or complaints you ask us to
- Teach students or staff
- Support health and social care research
Sometimes we share your information with third parties to support your care such as:
- Hospitals
- Social care
- Community Health
- Clinical Commissioning Groups
- Mental Health Providers
- NHS Digital
When we are sharing information to support third parties in providing your care, we will work hard to ensure it is the minimum necessary and that it is done so securely and lawfully. We aim to ensure that we only use your personal information in a way that you would reasonably expect.
When we share information that is used for healthcare management or planning, this does not allow for you to be identified.
Sometimes we will be required to share information for other reasons;
- When required to by law
- We have special permission for health or research purposes (e.g. if you have agreed to take part in a research trial)
- There is a strong public interest (e.g. there is a risk of serious harm or crime)
Objections
You can choose not to have information that could identify you shared beyond your GP practice. You can also choose to prevent information that does not identify you from being shared for planning and research.
Simply contact your GP either to register an opt-out or end an opt-out you have already registered and they will update your medical record. Your GP practice will also be able to confirm whether or not you have registered an opt-out in the past.
If you have previously told your GP practice that you don’t want NHS Digital to share your personal confidential information for purposes other than your own care and treatment, your opt-out will have been implemented by NHS Digital from 29th April 2016 as instructed in a direction from the Secretary of State. It will remain in place unless you change it.
As the Secretary of State’s direction; this included the policy on how to apply opt-outs was not available before April 2016 it was not possible for NHS Digital to honour opt-outs made before this date. This means that information may have been shared without respecting these opt-outs between January 2014 and April 2016.
You can find more information on NHS Digital’s website:
See how NHS Digital uses your information.
Read about how NHS Digital handles your information and your choices.
Your Rights
Under Data Protection law, you have a right to;
- object to certain uses of your data
- to be provided with a copy information held about you
- that your information will not be used for direct marketing purposes
- have any incorrect information amended or erased
Please contact your surgery for any requests made in connection with these rights.
For a copy of your information;
- Your request must be made in writing to your surgery
- The surgery is required to respond to your request in writing within 40 days (a month from May 2018)
- You will need to give the surgery your full name, address, date of birth and NHS number
- You will be required to provide personal identification such as a driving licence or passport
Use of the Website
Generally, our website will not require you to enter personal information. When it does, for example; online appointment booking, we will apply the same confidentiality principles as those described above.
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should be aware that we do not have any control over the other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting these sites.
Data Security
We intend to protect the confidentiality, quality and integrity of your personal information and we have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to do so. These include staff training, up to date policies and procedures and working to align with national cyber security guidelines.
Summary Care Records
There is a 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. Over time it will build to include information about other health issues considered important to your wellbeing.
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 asking the surgery directly.
Enhanced Summary Care Record
If you wanted to ‘enhance’ your record it would include the following information:
- Significant medical history (past and present)
- Reason for medication
- Anticipatory care information (important in the management of long term conditions)
- Communication preferences
- End of life care information
- Immunisations
Children Under The Age Of 16
Patients under 16 years will have an enhanced summary care record created for them unless their GP surgery is advised otherwise. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 then you should make this information available to them if they are old enough to decide for themselves if they want a summary care record.
Whatever you decide, you can change your mind at any time.
If you are a family member or carer of a person and you have concerns that they may not have the mental capability to make this decision, please contact the practice.
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 the summary care opt out form.
More Information
For further information please visit the HSCIC Website.
Your Rights and Responsibilities
You have the right to expect a high standard of medical care from our practice and we will try at all times to provide the very best care possible with the resources available.
In order to assist us in this, we ask you to take full responsibility to ensure that you keep medical appointments and follow the medical advice given. It is very important that you let us know if you are unable to keep your appointment, as missed appointments are a waste of valuable NHS resources.
Please tell us if you change your name, address or telephone number, as this is important in the event of an emergency. If you move outside our area it is in your best interest to register with a GP in your new area as soon as possible. The doctors do not make house calls outside the practice area.
Very occasionally, a practice/patient relationship breaks down completely. In this situation, the patient may choose to register with a different practice. The practice also has the right to remove a patient from its list. This would generally only follow a warning that had failed to remedy the situation.
Patient Satisfaction Survey
The practice carries out an annual satisfaction survey to see how we are providing the services. Your participation in this process will help us to improve the services of the practice, so please do complete this survey and you may also receive an external survey done by the Department of Health, please also complete this when requested.
Zero Tolerance
We aim to treat our patients courteously at all times and expect our patients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way.
If a patient is violent or abusive, they will be warned to stop their behaviour. If they persist, we may exercise our right to take action to have them removed, immediately if necessary, from our list of patients.