Online Access / Making a Subject Access Request (SAR)

Introduction
The Data Protection Act gives every living person (or authorised representative) the right to apply for access to their health records.

Online Access to Medical Records
As of March 2016, Coded information from Medical Records can be accessed as part of the Practice’s online services. For security reasons, you will have to visit the practice to undertake an identity check before you are granted access to these records.

To make a subject access request
A request for your medical health records held at Blacketts Medical Practice must be made in writing (e-mails accepted) to the data controller who is: Sarah Stelling, Practice Manager. Please contact the practice for alternative methods of access if you are unable to make a request in writing).

You can apply using an Application for Access to Medical Records Form which are available from reception if you wish.

Costs
Under the Data Protection Act you will not normally be charged a fee to view your health records or to be provided with a copy of them unless the request is judged to be unfounded or excessive.

CCTV Images

CCTV images will not be retained longer than is considered necessary, and will be then be deleted.

All images will be held securely, and all access requests, and access to images will be documented.

Except for law enforcement bodies, images will not be provided to third parties.

Images may record individuals and/or record incidents. Not all recordings are designed to identify persons.

Other than in accordance with statutory rights, the release or availability of images will be at the discretion of the Data Controller(s) for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2017.

Images are held to improve the personal security of patients and staff whilst on the premises, and for the prevention and detection of crime, and images may be provided to police or other bodies.

Where access is granted in response to an application received, the image may be edited to exclude images of third parties who are also included within the requested image. This may be necessary to protect the identity of the third parties. In these circumstances the image released as part of the application may identify the “data subject” only.

Images will be located by the Data Controller or authorised person.

The practice regularly reviews compliance with the ICO’s CCTV Code of Practice; continued operational effectiveness and whether the system continues to meet its purposes and remains justified.

Complaints

If you have any complaints about any aspect of your application to obtain access to your health records, you should first discuss this with the Practice. All complaints will be acknowledged within three working days and a full response will be provided.

Alternatively you can contact the Information Commissioners Office (responsible for governing Data Protection compliance) –

Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF

Tel 01625 545745 or  visit www.ico.org.uk/

Blacketts Medical Practice is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they consider one is required. The chaperone may be a family member or friend, but on occasions a formal chaperone may be preferred for example a Practice Nurse or other member of The Practice Team.

The Healthcare Professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations.

What Are Cookies

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For more detailed information about cookies visit:

https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/cookies/

How We Use Cookies

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Disabling Cookies

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The Cookies We Set

Here is a list of all cookies used by this website and how we use them. No cookies will be placed on your computer by our website until you explicitly agree they are permitted:

The below cookies are implicitly accepted by you.

Third Party Cookies

In some special cases we also use cookies provided by trusted third parties. The following section details which third party cookies you might encounter through this site.

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More Information

Hopefully that has clarified things for you and as was previously mentioned if there is something that you aren’t sure whether you need or not it’s usually safer to leave cookies enabled in case it does interact with one of the features you use on our site.

Data Protection Act – Patient Information

If you have any special needs please let our reception staff know so that we can help and ensure you get the same support in the future.

Wheelchair access

The Practice has been specially designed to make it easier for disabled patients to visit. There are no steps at the entrance of the building giving patients easy access. Due to fire regulations, we do have heavy fire doors, however if you have trouble opening these please ask a member of staff for assistance as they are always happy to help.

There are several dedicated disabled car parking spaces available immediately outside the front entrance of The Practice.

We have a wheelchair for patient’s use, at their own risk, should you require one whilst visiting our premises.

We have two disabled toilets one on each floor.

Disabled parking – Blue badge scheme

The Blue Badge Scheme is for people with severe mobility problems. It allows Blue Badge holders to park close to where they need to go.

Guide Dogs

Guide dogs are welcome at the practice but we ask that you be aware of other patients and staff who may have an allergy or fear of dogs. Our Guide Dog Policy available to download.

Privacy Notice

Blacketts Medical Practice 63-65 Bondgate, Darlington DL3 7J.

Tel: 01325 380640

Your information, what you need to know

This privacy notice explains why we collect information about you, how that information may be used, how we keep it safe and confidential and what your rights are in relation to this.

Why we collect information about you

Health care professionals who provide you with care are required by law to maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received within any NHS organisation. These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare and help us to protect your safety.

We collect and hold data for the purpose of providing healthcare services to our patients and running our organisation which includes monitoring the quality of care that we provide. In carrying out this role we may collect information about you which helps us respond to your queries or secure specialist services. We may keep your information in written form and/or in digital form. The records may include basic details about you, such as your name and address. They may also contain more sensitive information about your health and also information such as outcomes of needs assessments.

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled, and pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, together with responsibilities, which the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively.

NHS England

On 1 February 2023 NHS England and NHS Digital merged, meaning that NHS England has assumed responsibility for all activities previously undertaken by NHS Digital. This includes running the vital national IT systems which support health and social care, as well as the collection, analysis, publication and dissemination of data generated by health and social care services, to improve outcomes. NHS England collects health information from the records health and social care providers keep about the care and treatment they give, to promote health or support improvements in the delivery of care services in England https://digital.nhs.uk/

We keep a Register of all our information processing activities, including those involving the use of personal information. This records lots of metadata including where we get the information from, with whom we share it, the legal basis allowing us to process personal data and the security arrangements in place.

Details we collect about you

The health care professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. from Hospitals, GP Surgeries, A&E, etc.). These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare. Records which this GP Practice may hold about you may include the following:

How we keep your information confidential and safe

Everyone working for our organisation is subject to the Common Law Duty of Confidence. Information provided in confidence will only be used for specific purposes in accordance with the law. The NHS Digital Code of Practice on Confidential Information https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/looking-after-information/data-security-and-information-governance/codes-of-practice-for-handling-information-in-health-and-care/code-of-practice-on-confidential-information  applies to all NHS staff and they are required to protect your information, inform you of how your information will be used, and allow you to decide if and how your information can be shared. All our staff are expected to make sure information is kept confidential and receive regular training on how to do this.

The health records we use may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Your records are backed up securely in line with NHS standard procedures. We ensure that the information we hold is kept in secure locations, is protected by appropriate security and access is restricted to authorised personnel. We also make sure external data processors that support us are legally and contractually bound to operate and prove security arrangements are in place where data that could or does identify a person are processed. We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:

We have a senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of patient information and enabling appropriate information sharing. This person is called the Caldicott Guardian. The Caldicott Guardian for the practice is Dr Shaw, who can be contacted using the contact details at the top of this document. We also have a Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) who is responsible for owning the practice’s information risk. The SIRO is the Practice Manager.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller which describes the purposes for which we process personal data. A copy of the registration is available from the ICO’s web site by searching on our name.

We maintain our duty of confidentiality to you at all times. We will only ever use or pass on information about you if we reasonably believe that others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (such as a risk of serious harm to yourself or others) or where the law requires information to be passed on.

How we use your information

Improvements in information technology are also making it possible for us to share data with other healthcare organisations for the purpose of providing you, your family and your community with better care. For example it is possible for healthcare professionals in other services to access your record with your permission when the practice is closed. This is explained further in the Local Information Sharing section below.

Under the powers of the Health and Social Care Act 2015, NHS England can request personal confidential data from GP Practices without seeking patient consent for a number of specific purposes, which are set out in law. These purposes are explained below. You may choose to withdraw your consent to personal data being shared for these purposes.

You can object to your personal information being shared with other healthcare providers but should be aware that this may, in some instances, affect your care as important information about your health might not be available to healthcare staff in other organisations. If this limits the treatment that you can receive then the practice staff will explain this to you at the time you object.

To ensure you receive the best possible care, your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public and to help us manage the NHS.

Child Health Information

We wish to make sure that your child has the opportunity to have immunisations and health checks when they are due. We share information about childhood immunisations, the 6-8 week new baby check and breast-feeding status with NHS Foundation Trust health visitors and school nurses.

Clinical audit

Information may be used by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided to patients with long terms conditions. Some of this information may be held centrally and used for statistical purposes (e.g. the National Diabetes Audit). When this happens, strict measures are taken to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified from the data.

Clinical Research

Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – we will always ask your permission before releasing your information for this purpose.

Claims and Complaints

Should you make a complaint or claim we may need to provide information about you and your treatment to insurers, indemnifiers, or legal advisers.

GP Connect

The GP Connect service allows GP practices and clinical staff to share GP Practice clinical information and data between IT systems, quickly and efficiently via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). GP Connect is not used for any purpose other than direct care. Further information is available here https://digital.nhs.uk/services/gp-connect/gp-connect-in-your-organisation/gp-connect-privacy-notice

Improving Diabetes Care

Information that does not identify individual patients is used to enable focussed discussions to take place at practice-led local diabetes review meetings between health care professionals. This enables the professionals to improve the management and support of these patients.

Individual Funding Request

An ‘Individual Funding Request’ is a request made on your behalf, with your consent, by a doctor, for funding of specialised healthcare which falls outside the range of services and treatments that the ICBhas agreed to commission for the local population. An Individual Funding Request is taken under consideration when a case can be set out by a patient’s doctor that there are exceptional clinical circumstances which make the patient’s case different from other patients with the same condition who are at the same stage of their disease, or when the request is for a treatment that is regarded as new or experimental and where there are no other similar patients who would benefit from this treatment. A detailed response, including the criteria considered in arriving at the decision, will be provided to your GP.

Invoice Validation

Invoice validation is an important process. It involves using your NHS number to check that the ICBis responsible for paying for your treatment. Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 provides a statutory legal basis to process data for invoice validation purposes. We can also use your NHS number to check whether your care has been funded through specialist commissioning, which NHS England will pay for. The process makes sure that the organisations providing your care are paid correctly.

Local Information Sharing

Your GP electronic patient record is held securely and confidentially on an electronic system managed by your registered GP practice. If you require attention from a local health or care professional outside of your usual practice services, such as a GP Federation Service, Emergency Department, Minor Injury Unit or Out of Hours service, the professionals treating you are better able to give you safe and effective care if some of the information from your GP record is available to them.

Where available, this information can be shared electronically with other local healthcare providers via a secure system designed for this purpose. Depending on the service you are using and your health needs, this may involve the healthcare professional accessing a secure system that enables them to view parts of your GP electronic patient record, for example the Great North Care Record CareRecord (GNCR), or a secure system that enables them to view your full GP electronic patient record.Further details about the GNCR can be found here Great North Care Record – a way of sharing patient information

In all cases, your information is only accessed and used by authorised staff who are involved in providing or supporting your direct care.

When analysing current health services and proposals for developing future services it is sometimes necessary to link separate individual datasets to be able to produce a comprehensive evaluation.  This may involve linking primary care GP data with other data such as secondary uses service (SUS) data (inpatient, outpatient and A&E).  In some casesthere may also be a need to link local datasets which could include a range of acute-based services such as radiology, physiotherapy, audiology etc, as well as mental health and community-based services such as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), district nursing, podiatry etc.  When carrying out this analysis, the linkage of these datasets is always done using a unique identifier that does not reveal a person’s identity. We may also contract with other organisations to process data. These organisations are known as Data Processors. We ensure external data processors that support us are legally and contractually bound to operate and prove security arrangements are in place where data that could or does identify a person are processed.

Currently, the external data processors we work with include NHS North of England Commissioning Support Unit, which is based at John Snow House, Durham, DH1 3YG and which has been granted a legal basis for processing data for us and which operates under strict controls to ensure your information is handled lawfully.

We record any instances where we transfer personal information to a third country or international organisation. This is very limited and we check and record the safeguards in place to protect the information to be transferred.

OpenSAFELY COVID-19 Service

NHS England has been directed by the Government to establish and operate the OpenSAFELY service. This service provides a Trusted Research Environment that supports COVID-19 research and analysis. Each GP practice remains the controller of its own patient data but is required to let researchers run queries on pseudonymised patient data. This means identifiers are removed and replaced with a pseudonym, through OpenSAFELY. Only researchers approved by NHS England are allowed to run these queries and they will not be able to access information that directly or indirectly identifies individuals. Additional information about OpenSAFELY can be found on this webpage

National Fraud Initiative – Cabinet Office

The use of data by the Cabinet Office for data matching is carried out with statutory authority under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 2018. Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to a Code of Practice. For further information see:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-data-matching-practice-for-national-fraud-initiative

National Registries

National Registries (such as the Learning Disabilities Register) have statutory permission under Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006, to collect and hold service user identifiable information without the need to seek informed consent from each individual service user.

Risk Stratification

‘Risk stratification for case finding’ is a process for identifying and managing patients who have or may be at-risk of health conditions (such as diabetes) or who are most likely to need healthcare services (such as people with frailty). Risk stratification tools used in the NHS help determine a person’s risk of suffering a particular condition and enable us to focus on preventing ill health before it develops. Information about you is collected from a number of sources including NHS Trusts, GP Federations and your GP Practice. A risk score is then arrived at through an analysis of your de-identified information. This can help us identify and offer you additional services to improve your health.

Risk-stratification data may also be used to improve local services and commission new services, where there is an identified need. In this area, risk stratification may be commissioned by the North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 provides a statutory legal basis to process data for risk stratification purposes.

If you do not wish information about you to be included in any risk stratification programmes, please let us know. Please be aware that this may limit the ability of healthcare professionals to identify if you have or are at risk of developing certain serious health conditions.

Safeguarding

To ensure that adult and children’s safeguarding matters are managed appropriately, access to identifiable information will be shared in some limited circumstances where it’s legally required for the safety of the individuals concerned.

Summary Care Record (SCR)

The NHS in England uses a national electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR) to support patient care. It contains key information from your GP record. Your SCR provides authorised healthcare staff with faster, secure access to essential information about you in an emergency or when you need unplanned care, where such information would otherwise be unavailable.

Summary Care Records are there to improve the safety and quality of your care. SCR core information comprises your allergies, adverse reactions and medications. An SCR with additional information can also include reason for medication, vaccinations, significant diagnoses / problems, significant procedures, anticipatory care information and end of life care information. Additional information can only be added to your SCR with your agreement.

Please be aware that if you choose to opt-out of SCR, NHS healthcare staff caring for you outside of this surgery may not be aware of your current medications, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had, in order to treat you safely in an emergency. Your records will stay as they are now with information being shared by letter, email, fax or phone. If you wish to opt-out of having an SCR please return a completed opt-out form to the practice. Further information is available here https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr/summary-care-record-supplementary-transparency-notice

Supporting Medicines Management

The ICB operates or commissions a pharmacist prescribing advice service to support local GP practices with prescribing queries, which may require identifiable information to be shared. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians (who may be employed by the practice, primary care network, ICB or external partners) work with your usual GP to provide advice on medicines, prescription ordering processes, prescribing queries, and review prescribing of medicines to ensure that it is appropriate for your individual needs, safe and cost-effective. Where specialist prescribing support is required, the ICB medicines management team may discuss product choice with your GP and your nominated community pharmacist to ensure evidence-based, cost-effective choices are made to support your care.

Supporting Locally Commissioned Services

ICBs support GP practices by auditing anonymised data to monitor locally commissioned services, measure prevalence and support data quality. The data does not include identifiable information and is used to support patient care and ensure providers are correctly paid for the services they provide.

iGPR /SAR

We use a processor, iGPR Technologies Limited (iGPR) to assist us with responding to report requests relating to your patient data, such as subject access requests that you have submitted to us (or that someone acting on your behalf has submitted to us) and report request that insurers submit to us under the Access to medical Records Act 1988 in relation to a life insurance policy that you hold or that you are applying for.

iGPR manages the reporting process for us by reviewing and responding to requests in accordance with our instructions and all applicable laws, including UK date protection laws.

The instructions we issue to iGPR include general instructions on responding to requests and specific instructions on issues that will require further consultation with the GP responsible for your care.

Data Retention

We manage patient records in line with the Records Management NHS Code of Practice  https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/information-governance/guidance/records-management-code/ which sets the required standards of practice in the management of records for those who work within or under contract to NHS organisations in England, based on current legal requirements and professional best practice.

Who are our partner organisations?

We may also have to share your information, subject to strict agreements on how it will be used, with the following organisations:

We will never share your information outside of health partner organisations without your explicit consent unless there are exceptional circumstances such as when the health or safety of others is at risk, where the law requires it or to carry out a statutory function.

Within the health partner organisations and in relation to the above-mentioned themes we will assume you are happy to for your information to be shared unless you choose to opt-out (see below). This means you will need to express an explicit wish to not have your information shared with the other organisations; otherwise, it will be automatically shared. We are required by law to report certain information to the appropriate authorities. This is only provided after formal permission has been given by a qualified health professional. There are occasions when we must pass on information, such as notification of new births, where we encounter infectious diseases which may endanger the safety of others, such as meningitis or measles (but not HIV/AIDS), and where a formal court order has been issued. Our guiding principle is that we are holding your records in strictest confidence.

Your Rights

Your right to opt out

The national data opt-out allows people to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for research and planning. It was introduced on 25 May 2018, providing a facility for individuals to opt-out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes. The national data opt-out replaces the previous ‘type 2’ opt-out, which required NHS Digital not to share a patient’s confidential patient information for purposes beyond their individual care. Any patient that had a type 2 opt-out has had it automatically converted to a national data opt-out from 25 May 2018 and has received a letter giving them more information and a leaflet explaining the new national data opt-out. If a patient wants to change their choice, they can use the new service to do this.  You can find out more here https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/

Patients who have a type 1 opt-out

Some patients will have a type 1 opt-out registered with the practice. You can tell the practice if you do not want your confidential patient information held in your GP medical record to be used for purposes other than your individual care. This is commonly called a type 1 opt-out. This opt-out request can only be recorded by your GP practice.

If your wishes cannot be followed, you will be told the reasons (including the legal basis) for that decision. There are certain circumstances where a person is unable to opt out but these are only where the law permits this such as in adult or children’s safeguarding situations.

You have a right in law to refuse or withdraw previously granted consent to the use of your personal information. There are possible consequences of not sharing such as the effect this may have on your care and treatment but these will be explained to you to help with making your decision.

If you wish to exercise your right to opt-out, or to speak to somebody to understand what impact this may have, if any, please contact us using the usual practice contact details.

You can find out more by clicking herehttps://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/opt-out-of-sharing-your-health-records/

Right of Access to Your Personal Information

We will tell you if we use your personal information, what that information is and why we use it. We will also tell you where we obtained the information from and with whom we share your information. Under this right we have to tell you how long we intend to keep your information for.

You are entitled to obtain a copy of the personal information held about you by the practice. You can view this or request copies of the records by making a subject access request. Any request to access or obtain a copy of this information will be considered in line with the data protection legislation. This is generally free of charge unless your request is very complicated and/or unreasonably excessive; if you require further copies of information already provided to you we may charge a reasonable administrative fee. If you want to access your data you can contact us using the contact details at the top of this notice. Under special circumstances, some information may be withheld.

Right to Rectification

This right allows you to ask for any information you believe to be inaccurate or incomplete to be corrected and completed. We are allowed one month from the date of your request in which to perform any such corrections or add supplementary statements. We will communicate any rectification of information to anyone to whom it has been disclosed unless this is not possible or involves disproportionate effort. We will tell you who those recipients are if you ask us.

Right to Erasure

This right is also commonly referred to as the ‘right to be forgotten’. You have the right to erasure of personal data if:

The practice can refuse to erase your data in the following circumstances:

The majority of processing of healthcare related personal information is undertaken under our statutory duty to provide such care. This means that we are required by law to hold your personal dataand you do not have the ability to have that data erased in most circumstances.

Right to Restriction of Processing

Restriction means marking information with the aim of limiting its processing in the future. You have the right to restrict the processing of personal data if:

· the accuracy of the data is contested (and only for as long as it takes to verify that accuracy);

· the processing is unlawful and you request restriction (as opposed to exercising the right to erasure);

· we no longer need the data for their original purpose, but the data are still required by the practice to establish, exercise or defend legal rights; or

· if verification of overriding grounds is pending, in the context of an objection to processing under GDPR Article 21(1).

Where we have disclosed personal data to any third parties, and you have subsequently exercised any of the rights of rectification, erasure or blocking, we must notify those third parties of you having exercised those rights.

We are exempt from this obligation if it is impossible or would require disproportionate effort. You are also entitled to request information about the identities of those third parties. Where we have made the data public, and you exercise these rights, the practice must take reasonable steps (taking costs into account) to inform third parties that you have exercised those rights.

Right to Data Portability

The purpose of this right is to give a person more control over their personal information. Data Portability means you have the right to receive a copy of personal information which you have given us in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and to have it transferred directly to another ‘controller’ where technically possible. This right only applies to information which is processed by automated means and where you have given consent to the processing or where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract.  It does not apply if the processing is needed to comply with a legal obligation, our official duties or is for a task carried out in the public interest. It is therefore unlikely to apply to any of the processing carried out by the practice.

Right to Object

You can object to the processing of your personal information if the processing activity is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in connection with our lawful, official duties or those of a third party, or a task carried out in the public interest. We could refuse to comply with a request only where we could show that there was an overriding legal reason or if we need to process the information in relation to a legal claim.

You also have a separate right to object to processing if it is for direct marketing purposes. We do not use your information in this way but if we did, we would tell you about it. This right also includes a specific right to object to research uses except where this is done in the public interest.

Automated Decision-Making, Including Profiling

Profiling means any form of automated processing (i.e. processed by a computer and not a human being) of personal information used to analyse, evaluate or predict things about someone; this can include things like someone’s health, personal preferences, interests, economic situation, reliability, performance at work behaviour, location or movements.

Under this right you can ask not to be subject to a decision made solely by automated means, including any profiling, which affects you in a legal way or has a similar significant effect. Automated decision-making and profiling are not allowed if it involves certain types of information; these ‘special categories’ of information are deemed to carry more sensitivity therefore we cannot use your health information for automated decision-making or profiling unless we have your explicit consent or there is substantial public interest allowing us to do so. We currently do not carry out any automated decision-making, including profiling.

Consent

Where processing is based on consent you have the right to withdraw consent to process your personal data.

Right to Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

If you have concerns or are unhappy about any of our services, please contact the Practice Manager. For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data-sharing issues, or to complain to the ICO if you think any processing of your personal data infringes data protection legislation you can contact:

The Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113 Website: www.ico.gov.uk

Data Protection Officer (DPO)

As a public authority the practice must appoint a DPO. The DPO is an essential role in facilitating ‘accountability’ and the organisation’s ability to demonstrate compliance with the data protection legislation. The DPO for the practice is Liane Cotterill, who can be contacted via the contact details at the top of this notice.

Change of Details

It is important that you tell the person treating you if any of your details such as your name or address have changed or if any of your details are incorrect in order for this to be amended. Please inform us of any changes so our records for you are accurate and up to date.

Mobile telephone number

If you provide us with your mobile phone number we may use this to send you reminders about your appointments or other health screening information. Please let us know if you do not wish to receive reminders on your mobile.

Reviews of and Changes to our Privacy Notice

We will keep our Privacy Notice under regular review. This notice has been updated in July 2025.

We aim to keep our practice clean and tidy and offer a safe environment to our patients and staff.  We are proud of our modern, purpose built Health Centre and endeavour to ensure it is kept clean and well maintained at all times.

If you have any concerns about cleanliness or infection control, please report these to our reception staff.

Our GPs and Nursing staff follow our Infection Control Policy to ensure the care we deliver and the equipment we use is safe.

We take additional measures to ensure we maintain the highest standards:

• Encourage staff and patients to raise any issues or report any incidents relating to cleanliness and infection control.  We can discuss these and identify improvements we can make to avoid any future problems.
• Carry out an annual infection control audit to make sure our infection control procedures are working.
• Provide annual staff updates and training on cleanliness and infection control
• Review our policies and procedures to make sure they are adequate and meet national guidance.
• Maintain the premises and equipment to a high standard within the available financial resources and ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce or remove all infection risk.
• Use washable or disposable materials for items such as couch rolls, modesty curtains, floor coverings, towels etc, and ensure that these are laundered, cleaned or changed frequently to minimise risk of infection.
• Make Alcohol Hand Rub Gel available throughout the building

Significant events

In the past year there have been no significant events raised that related to infection control.

Cleaning specifications

The cleaning staff work to structured cleaning schedules and the daily cleaning of the Health Centre is contracted to a company who follow national NHS guidance.  The public areas are cleaned every evening.

Infection control policy

The Infection Control Policy is reviewed and updated annually if appropriate and updated on an ongoing basis as current advice changes.

When a patient registers at a practice a transaction is sent to the Primary Care Support Service notifying them that they are a new patient. Your paper medical records from your previous practice will then be sent to the Primary Care Support Service and transferred to your new practice. The process of receiving your paper medical records normally runs smoothly but it can sometimes take up to three months. Once the practice receives these records they are summarised so that everything the GP needs to know about your health is made available on our computer Medical Records.

Currently many practices country wide including our own are using a computer record system called SystmOnline. If a patient moves from one SystmOnline practice to another, all relevant medical information is ready to be seen by the GP on the patient’s screen on the computer as soon as the patient has registered, although paper medical records are still thoroughly checked once they are received later.

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and the required disclosure is shown below for 2023/24. 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.

All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GPs working in this practice in the last full financial year was £69,547 before Tax and National insurance. This is for three full time GPs, three part time GPs, three salaried GPs and zero locum GPs who worked in the practice for more than six months.

Blacketts is proud to be a training practice, training junior doctors. GP Registrars are fully qualified doctors gaining specialist training in general practice. They are attached to The Practice for a year and hold clinics in the same way as a GP.

Additionally as an essential part of their training, Student Doctors regularly observe our doctors during consultations. If you do not wish a Medical Student to be present during your consultation or examination then please inform a member of reception or the relevant clinician.

This guide tells you what to expect from your general practice (GP) and how you can help them, so you get the best from the National Health Service (NHS). More details can be found through the links below.

When and how can you contact your general practice?

Your general practice is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Throughout these hours you, or your carer on your behalf, can:

• Visit the practice
• Call them
• Go online using the practice’s website or the NHS App.

You can choose the way you contact your practice based on what is best for you. Some practices may have longer hours or may ask that you contact them via phone or in person for urgent queries.

What if the practice is closed?

If you need urgent help for your physical or mental health when the general practice is closed, and you cannot wait until they open, go online to 111.nhs.uk or call 111. They will tell you what to do next.

What if it’s an emergency?

If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, go straight to A&E (Accident and Emergency) or call 999.

What happens when you contact your practice to request an appointment?

Whether you make your request by phone, on-line or visiting your practice, you may be asked to give your practice some details so that they can assess what is best for you based on your clinical need. The practice team will consider your request for an appointment or medical advice and tell you within one working day what will happen next.

This could be:

• An appointment that day or a subsequent day
• A phone call that day or a subsequent day
• A text message responding to your query
• Advice to go to a pharmacy or another NHS service.

Your practice will decide what is best for you based on your clinical need.

Your practice cannot tell you to just call back the next day.

Who might help you?

You might be offered a face-to-face appointment or a phone call with a GP or other member of the practice staff, like a nurse or pharmacist.

If you have a carer, they can speak for you with your consent.

You can ask to see a preferred healthcare professional, and the practice will try to meet your request, although you might have to wait longer for that person to be available.

It can be helpful to see the same healthcare professional, particularly if you have a long-term health condition.

From what age can you see a GP on your own?

If you are 16 or older, you can make and go to appointments by yourself.

If you are under 16, you can still ask to see a GP without your parent or guardian. The GP will decide if that’s appropriate for you.

What if you need extra help?

If you do not speak English, you can ask for interpretation services in your preferred language when you make an appointment.

If you need extra help like longer appointments, a quiet space, wheelchair access, or information in a different format, tell your practice and they will try to help.

How do you choose a general practice?

You can:

• Call or visit a local practice
• Use Find a GP online.

If you want to change to a new general practice you can do so at any point. Most people have a few choices nearby.

Do you need ID or proof of address?

No, you do not need ID, an NHS number or proof of address. It can help the practice if you do, but it is not needed to register or see a GP.   You can also register with a practice if you are homeless.

Can a practice say no to registering you?

They must write to you within 14 days if they say no and explain why. A practice can only say no for a good reason, like if you live too far away or their patient list is closed. For example, they cannot say no for reasons such as immigration status, not having a permanent address, or for reasons connected with other characteristics protected under equalities legislation.

Can you choose which hospital or clinic you are referred to?

If your GP needs to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases you have the right to choose the hospital or service you’d like to go to. You can get further information on your right to choose on the nhs.uk website.

If you are new to the UK

You can still register with a GP. It’s free to use and your immigration status does not affect your right to register with a GP.

If you are away from home but still in the UK

If you are away from home for more than 24 hours (but less than 3 months), you can register as a temporary patient near where you’re staying.

You can also change your nominated pharmacy so you can get your medicine nearby. You can do this by contacting your practice or via the NHS App.

Do general practices charge for anything?

NHS GP services are free.  Sometimes, if you ask the GP to do private work (like writing a letter for insurance), they may charge a fee.

How should everyone be treated?

The practice should treat everyone fairly, kindly and respectfully.  Likewise, you should also treat staff with respect.  The practice can remove patients from their list if they are violent or abusive to staff.

To learn more about your rights, you can read the NHS Constitution.

How can you help your general practice?

1. Be prepared: Before an appointment, think about writing down your symptoms, what you are worried about and what you want to talk about.
2. Be on time: Being late for an appointment or being unavailable for a timed call-back can affect other patients.
3. Cancel if needed: If you can’t go to your appointment, tell the practice as soon as you can, so that they can offer it to someone else.
4. Use the NHS App or website: If you’re confident using smart phones or computers, you can book or cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and see your test results online.
5. Turn on notifications: If you use the NHS App, turn on notifications so the practice can contact you more easily.  Please keep an eye out for messages.
6. Order repeat medicines on time: Make sure you ask for repeat prescriptions on time, so you don’t run out, and only order what you need.
7. Join the Patient Participation Group: You practice will have a group of patients who can offer feedback on the services it delivers. Your practice website should explain how you can join.

How can you give feedback or raise concerns?

If you want to give feedback, raise a concern or wish to make a formal complaint, ask to speak to the practice manager. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, contact your integrated care board (ICB) – the local NHS body that oversees GPs practices. You can find your local integrated care on the NHS England website.

You can also give feedback about your practice to your local Healthwatch. Their job is to make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. Healthwatch is independent and impartial, and any information you share with them is confidential. To find your local Healthwatch visit the Healthwatch website.

If you require a translated version of this document please contact the practice

We are committed to giving you the best possible service. This will be achieved by working together.

Patient’s rights

Help us to help you. You have a right to, and the practice will try to ensure that:

• You will be treated with courtesy and respect
• You will be treated as a partner in the care and attention that you receive
• All aspects of your visit will be dealt with in privacy and confidence
• You will be seen by a clinician of your choice, subject to availability
• In an emergency, out of normal opening hours, if you telephone the practice you will be given the number to receive assistance, which will require no more than one further call
• You can bring someone with you, however you may be asked to be seen on your own during the consultation
• Repeat prescriptions will normally be available for collection within two working days of your request
• Information about our services on offer will be made available to you by way of posters, notice boards, newsletters and on our website.
• You have the right to see your medical records or have a copy subject to certain laws. A small fee may be charged to cover costs. If you would like access to health records please see our Medical Records Page

Patient’s responsibilities

With these rights come responsibilities and for patients we would respectfully request that you:

• Treat practice staff and doctors with the same consideration and courtesy that you would like yourself. Remember that they are trying to help you
• Please request home visits before 11.00am, if possible
• Please ensure that you order your repeat medication in plenty of time allowing 48 working hours
• Please ensure that you have a basic first aid kit at home and initiate minor illness and self-care for you and your family
• Please attend any specialist appointments that have been arranged for you or cancel them if your condition has resolved or you no longer wish to attend
• Please follow up any test or investigations done for you with the person who has requested the investigation
• Attend appointments on time and check in with one of our Patient Navigators
• Patients who are more than 10 minutes late for their appointment may not be seen
• If you are unable to make your appointment or no longer need it, please give the practice adequate notice that you wish to cancel. Appointments are heavily in demand and missed appointments waste time and delay more urgent patients receiving the treatment they need
• An appointment is for one person only. Where another family member needs to be seen or discussed, another appointment should be made
• Patients should make every effort to present at the practice to ensure the best use of nursing and medical time. Home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience
• Please inform us when you move home, change your name or telephone number, so that we can keep our records correct and up to date
• Read the practice leaflets and other information that we give you. They are there to help you use our services. If you do not understand their content please tell us
• Let us have your views. Your ideas and suggestions whether complimentary or critical are important in helping us to provide a first class, safe, friendly service in pleasant surroundings

The practice fully supports the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy. The aim of this policy is to tackle the increasing problem of violence against staff working in the NHS and ensures that doctors and all other staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused.

We understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint. We ask you to treat your doctors and all other staff courteously and act reasonably.

All incidents will be followed up and you will be sent a formal warning after a second incident or removed from the practice list after a third incident if your behaviour has been unreasonable.

However, aggressive behaviour, be it violent or verbal abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from The Practice list and, in extreme cases, the Police will be contacted if an incident is taking place and the patient is posing a threat to staff or other patients.

Removal from the practice list

A good patient-doctor relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of good patient care. The removal of patients from our list is an exceptional and rare event and is a last resort in an impaired patient-practice relationship. When trust has irretrievably broken down, it is in the patient’s interest, just as much as that of The Practice, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is on immediate removal on the grounds of violence e.g. when the Police are involved.