Practice Policies and Complaints

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.

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.

Complaints Form COMPLAINTS form – COMPLAINTS form – Practice Complaints form July 2023

From 1 July 2023, there are two ways you can complain about GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services:

• The healthcare provider – the organisation where you received the NHS service, for example a GP practice or dental surgery.
• The commissioner of the service – the organisation that paid for the service or care you received for example NHS England or the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

If you want to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner, you will now contact NHS South West London Integrated Care Board instead of NHS England.

You can do this by:

Telephone: 0800 026 6082

E-mail: contactus@swlondon.nhs.uk

Writing to us at: NHS South West London

ICB, 120 the Broadway, London, SW19 1RH

Complaining

 Should you remain dissatisfied with the findings of this investigation, then they may further complain online or in writing to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) at either:

The PHSO may be contacted via telephone on 0345 015 4033 or by using their secure online form on their website. Further details on how to make a complaint to PHSO can be sought at www.ombudsman.org.uk. 

Advocacy support

• POhWER support centre can be contacted via 0300 456 2370
• Advocacy People gives advocacy support on 0330 440 9000
• Age UK on 0800 055 6112
• Local Council can give advice on local advocacy services
• Other advocates and links can be found on this PHSO webpage

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.