CONFIDENTIALITY, DATA PROTECTION, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Both your paper and computer records are confidential. We comply with the Data Protection Act, 1998, which lays down legal requirements for computer users such as ourselves.

We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it e.g. in making clinical referrals. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

Sometimes the law requires us to pass on information e.g. to notify a birth or when we encounter infectious diseases that may endanger the safety of others. Data may be gathered for audit purposes and in development of medical care or other NHS services.

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. The Caldicott Guardian (the person responsible for the confidentiality of medical information) for the Practice is our Practice Manager.

The Practice complies with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

PATIENT SURVEY
Each winter we perform a questionnaire-based patient survey. The results which are specific to each nurse and doctor, and which are averaged across the whole practice, are analysed by an independent company. We will post the findings and our response on this website.

OUR VALUES
Everyone in our team is committed to the care of our patients

We will always do our best to provide our patients with the care they need. If we cannot provide that care we will refer to where the care is available and if that care is at a hospital we will offer choice of where the patient wants to go.

It is our desire to be the best practice in the area and we are always looking at ways we can improve our service. We aim to be courteous, caring and respectful: We ask that our patients offer us the same.

We welcome any feedback or suggestions.

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Rights and Responsibilities
The Practice is dedicated to achieving and maintaining a quality health service to meet the needs of our patients.
We aim to see all patients who wish to see a healthcare professional within 48 hours. We provide all our services in a courteous manner.
You can help us by:

• Providing us with any change of address, telephone number or name, so that our records are kept up to date.

• Arriving promptly for you appointment.

• Treating our staff politely. We know you are often unwell when you visit us and we do our best to help you.

• Cancelling any appointment you do not need so that someone else can take your place (If you do not attend and do not cancel we may consider removing you from our list).

• Ordering your repeat prescriptions in plenty of time.

• Switching off your mobile phone whilst on the Practice premises.

Removal of Patients from Practice List
We would consider remove patients from our list in the following circumstances:

• Moving significantly outside of the Practice area
• Irretrievable breakdown of the doctor-patient relationship
• Violence or threatening behaviour to any practice staff
• Rudeness to any practice staff
• Persistent non attendance without cancelling booked appointments

We will not remove patients from our list because of:

• Costly treatment
• Patients suffering from any particular clinical condition
• Their age

Zero Tolerance
We have a Zero Tolerance Policy of violence against all practice staff. We will immediately remove any patient from our list for violence or abuse against any practice partner or employee.