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.
GDPR Policy (PDF, 179KB)
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practitioners 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
Introduction
In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, patients (data subjects) have the right to access their data and any supplementary information held by Solent View Medical Practice; this is commonly known as a data subject access request (DSAR). Data subjects have a right to receive:
- Confirmation that their data is being processed
- Access to their personal data
- Access to any other supplementary information held about them
Options for access
As of April 2016, practices have been obliged to allow patients access to their health record online. This service will enable the patient to view coded information held in their health record. Prior to accessing this information, you will have to visit the practice and undertake an identity check before being granted access to your records.
In addition, you can make a request to be provided with copies of your health record. To do so, you must submit a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) form; this can be submitted electronically and the DSAR form is available on the practice website. Alternatively, a paper copy of the DSAR is available from reception. You will need to submit the form online or return the completed paper copy of the DSAR to the practice. Patients do not have to pay a fee for copies of their records.
Time frame
Once the DSAR form is submitted, Solent View Medical Practice will aim to process the request within 21 days; however, this may not always be possible. The maximum time permitted to process DSARs is one calendar month.
Exemptions
There may be occasions when the data controller will withhold information kept in the health record, particularly if the disclosure of such information is likely to cause undue stress or harm to you or any other person.
Data controller
At Solent View Medical Practice the Data Controller is Dr M Farrington, and should you have any questions relating to accessing your medical records, please ask to discuss this with the named data controller.
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.
If you have a complaint please contact the Practice Manager or Deputy Practice Manager at hiowicb-hsi.leeonsolenthealthcentre@nhs.net or, alternatively, you can raise complaints about a GP or GP services with NHS England on 0300 311 2233 or by email England.contactus@nhs.net.
The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) can manage complaints relating to provider organisations such as Acute hospital, ambulance service or community service and Commissioning decisions. Alternatively you can raise a complaint with the provider of the service directly. If you do wish the CCG to manage your complaint then please contact the CCG via the following email address FGCCG.Complaints@nhs.net. More details can also be found on the CCG website at www.farehamandgosportccg.nhs.uk.
If you require help in raising a complaint then please contact Healthwatch Hampshire by telephone on 01962 440262 or in writing to: Freepost RTHH-KGST-ZRBC, Healthwatch Hampshire, Westgate Chambers, Staple Gardens, Winchester SO32 8SR.
You can also obtain advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB). Their service is free and independent of the NHS.
If you still remain dissatisfied following an investigation you do have the right to take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman and they can be contacted by telephone on 0345 015 4033. See www.ombudsman.org.uk for more information.
Click here to download our complaints policy Complaints_Policy.docx. A patient information leaflet is available from reception.
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 or abusive or derogatory comments on social media.
Depending on the severity of the violence or abuse we will notify the patient in writing of the incident by sending a letter with the zero tolerance policy advising that should the conduct persist they may be removed from the practice. However if the violence or abuse is severe the police may be involved which will result in immediate removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
Safeguarding
Click here to download our Safeguarding children information (DOC, 37KB)
Fair Processing Notice
Fair Processing Notice (PDF, 197KB)