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.
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.
Feedback & Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice. We would strongly encourage patients to provide any feedback or suggestions with regards to our service using the feedback form.
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. You can find more information from our complaints leaflet
Zero tolerance
The practice recognises that there can be contributory reasons for patients behaving in difficult or challenging ways, however, where this tips over into aggression or violence, the practice will adopt a zero tolerance approach. Our practice aims to provide high quality healthcare and we will treat all patients with respect and dignity. In return we expect all our staff to be treated with respect. We will not tolerate abusive language or threatening behaviour against any member of staff. Such behaviour may result in the offender being denied access to the doctor and/or further measures as appropriate.
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.
Named Accountable GP
1From 1st April 2015, all patients registered at any GP practice are required to be allocated a named accountable GP.
What does ‘accountable’ mean?
The named accountable GP is responsible for the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under the contract and ensure they are delivered to each patient where required. However, this does not mean that they will be the only GP or clinician who will provide care to that patient. These responsibilities will be carried out within the opening hours of the Practice and do not change the way you currently access care outside these hours.
Will GP practices write to patients to inform them of their named GP?
No. However, we will inform patients of their named GP on request. Please contact our Practice Manager for further details.
Can patients choose their own named GP?
The Practice will allocate a named GP for each patient. However, if a patient requests a different named GP, reasonable effort will be made to accommodate their preference.
Do patients have to see their named GP when they book an appointment?
No. Patients can, and should, feel free to choose to see any GP or nurse in the practice in line with current arrangements. If their preferred choice of GP or nurse is not available, an alternative will be offered. As all patients have an electronic medical record this ensures that all clinicians in the Practice have access to the most accurate and up to date information. If you request an urgent appointment, this will be with any of the doctors who have available appointments.
GP earnings:
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 The Azad Practice in the last financial year was £158,428 before tax and National Insurance.
This is for 3 Full time GPs who worked in the practice of The Azad Practice for more than six months.