Practice Policies & Patient Information
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.
Chaperone Policy
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend. On occasions you may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, ie a trained member of our staff.
Whenever possible we ask you make this request at the time of booking the appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed in any way.
Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in accordance with our Chaperone Policy. If you would like to see our Chaperone Policy or have any questions or comments regarding this please contact the Practice Manager.
Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
To pursue a complaint please contact the practice manager who will deal with your concerns appropriately. Further written information is available regarding the complaints procedure from reception.
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.
GP Net Earnings
NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and the required disclosure 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. The average pay for GPs working in the Shiregreen Medical Centre Practice in the financial year 2022/2023 was £74,616 before tax and National Insurance. This is for 5 part time GPs and 2 Locum GP’s who worked in the practice for more than six months.
Record Sharing
Your Sheffield Health and Care Records
Information used to support your care
When you see a doctor, nurse or any other health or social care professional, we ask you to share information about yourself. This helps us offer treatment and care adapted to your needs. We keep a record of relevant information, which may be written down or held on computer. This record is known as your health, medical or care record.
Your care record may include:
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- Basic details about you such as name, address and next of kin
- Details of any diagnosis and treatment you receive including drug prescriptions
- Results of investigations such as blood tests and X-ray
- Details of contact you have with other health or social care professionals such as visits to clinics
- Relevant information from other professionals and those who care for you
Different health and care professionals involved in your care may make their own notes, so you may have care records in different parts of the NHS and social care services.
Record Sharing
In order to deliver the best integrated health and social care services to you in Sheffield we share relevant personal data between professionals involved in your care – this means sharing records between your GP, primary care, hospitals, out-of-hours, ambulance services (111 and 999) and other health and social care organisations including the Local Authority.
Sharing your records helps us to ensure you receive the safest, most appropriate care for you, and reduces the need for you to repeatedly tell your story.
Medical Reporting
“Our practice has decided to outsource our medical reporting to MediData, who will process your medical report using their system, eMR.
What is eMR/MediData?
MediData is a NHS Digital accredited company who have developed a digital system called
eMR, which enables GP practices to create digital, GDPR compliant medical reports.
eMR helps GP Surgeries with data security, speed and efficiency
eMR also helps you to easily see your medical data, stay in control of it and decide who you
want to share it with.
MediData has worked hard to develop their NHS GP IT Futures accredited technology, eMR,
which interfaces with our GP practice’s system to extract your medical record. This means you
can receive a full copy of that information securely and share it with others as you wish, keeping
your data safe.
If you wish to speak to a member of the MediData team regarding your medical report, or any
concerns you may have regarding your data, please contact MediData directly on:
Phone – 0333 3055 774
Email – connect@medi2data.com”
Security & Confidentiality
NHS and social care staff will ensure that all personal data is handled in a lawful manner.
Information about you is securely managed and controlled within Sheffield NHS and social care systems.
We won’t usually share your records with anyone who isn’t involved in your treatment, care or support.
Your Rights
You have the right to access your records – for more information please ask your care provider.
You have the right to opt out of your records being shared at any time. However, by not agreeing to share your records you may not always receive the best available service that meets your specific needs.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Privacy Notice
For Further Information
Please discuss with your GP, reception, or see the Sheffield CCG website:
http://www.sheffieldccg.nhs.uk/about-us/looking-after-your-information.htm
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
Violence Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.