Practice Policies

Mission Statement

Waddesdon Surgery is a long established medical practice that is committed to delivering caring, safe and high quality care to all our patients. We aim to offer professional, up to date clinical care with a well trained and motivated primary health care team, without losing sight of traditional friendly primary care virtues.

We undertake to:

* Treat you with respect and courtesy at all times.
* Provide you with advice and treatment in a timely manner.
* Discuss what treatment is available and refer you on to other experts where necessary.
* Act as your advocate and work in partnership with you, your families and carers to guide you through health and social services.
* Keep up to date with developments in health care by continuing to learn through training.

In return we ask you to:

* Keep your appointment, or let us know as soon as possible if you can’t attend.
* Only use the out-of-hours services for urgent conditions which can’t wait until the next day or over the weekend.
* Show respect to our staff. Their aim is to help you.
* Let us know if you have any suggestions or cause for complaint as soon as possible.
* Let us know when we have done well.

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. For full Fair Processing Statement please click on the Privacy Notice.

Data Retention

We manage patient records in line with the Records Management NHS Code of Practice for Health and Social Care 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. If you transfer to another GP and we are asked to transfer your records we will do this to ensure your care is continued. Currently the NHS is required to keep GP records for 10 years after a patient has died.  Exceptions to these rules are detailed in the code of practice.

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

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

Subject Access Request

Patient Authorisation form

IT/Electronic Patient Records: Statement of Intent

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.

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.

Patient Code of Conduct