Confidentiality
We take issues surrounding confidentiality very seriously and will endeavour to protect patients at all times. We would be grateful if you could respect this by ensuring you let us know if someone else is to e.g. phone in for your test results – otherwise this information will NOT be released. Our staff are highly trained and take the utmost care to protect confidentiality and data protection.

Note about research and confidentiality »

DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998
You are entitled to access your clinical records held by the practice. This should be done in writing stating exactly what information you require. A charge may apply for this request of between £10 -£50 maximum.

YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION
To provide you with the care you need, we hold the details of your consultations, illnesses, tests, prescriptions and other treatments that have been recorded by everyone involved in your care and treatment, e.g. GP, Health Visitor, Practice Nurse. This information may be stored on paper or electronically on computer files. We sometimes share some of your personal health information with other organisations involved in your care. For example, when your GP refers you to a specialist at the hospital we will send relevant details about you in the referral letter and receive information about you from them.

Our Practice also participates in regional and national programmes such as the cervical cytology, breast cancer and aortic aneurysm screening services and your name and address, date of birth and health number will be given to them in order to send an invitation to you.

We need to use some of your personal health information for administrative purposes. In order to receive payment for services provided to you, we have to disclose basic details about you to the NHS Our use of your personal health information is covered by a duty of confidentiality, and is regulated by the Data Protection Act. The Data Protection Act gives you a number of rights in relation to how your personal information is used, including a right to access the information we hold about you. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential and adheres to a Code of Practice on Protecting Patient confidentiality.

The duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16 is as great as that owed to any other person. Regardless of whether or not the requested treatment is given, the confidentiality of the consultation should still be respected, unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. Any competent young person, regardless of age, can independently seek medical advice and give valid consent to medical treatment. When young people consult a doctor other than their usual GP, they are unlikely to refuse a request for details to be passed to their GP, providing that they trust that their confidentiality will be respected by their own GP and the Primary Care Team.

Further information on this can be found at www.nhsis.co.uk confidentiality. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential. If you have any queries or concerns on how we use your personal health information, or would like to access your information, please contact our Practice Manager.

Private Work – if you apply for insurance or for help from a solicitor then you will be asked to sign a mandate for us to be able to release your information. We will not release information without a signed mandate.

Practice Data Controller – L. Mackay (Practice Manager)

REMOVAL FROM PRACTICE
We will keep you registered with us until you register elsewhere, or move outwith our area.
We do have a policy of zero tolerance to violence and aggression. Therefore if you act in this way to ANY member of the NHS staff we will institute our removals policy which may be a written warning (in the case of verbal abuse) or instant removal (in the case of violence). We may also call the Police.

We have given detailed information about medical services and brief details about services provided by everyone in the Primary Health Care Team. These can be found on the chart in the centre of the booklet. If you require care from the other members of the team they will give you more details about their services.


HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES

FIRE SAFETY
In the event of the fire alarm sounding you should WALK to the nearest exit and leave the building and congregate on grass area beside the car park.

SMOKING AND ALCOHOL
The Practice operates a No Smoking and No Alcohol policy. Please be aware that if you are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs your appointment may be cancelled.

COURTESY TO ALL HEALTH CARE WORKERS
Staff are required to be courteous to patients and courteous behaviour towards staff is required in return. Abusive, aggressive or violent behaviour causes offence to both staff and patients. The Practice may refuse to provide services, or prosecute any person whose behaviour is disruptive. We operate a “zero” tolerance policy on violence and aggression.