Confidentiality
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
The Freedom Of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the 'classes' of information the practice intends to routinely make available.
Practice Charter
Practice Booklet
All new patients will receive a copy of our practice booklet and copies will be displayed at the reception desk.
Surgery Premises
Our surgery building will be welcoming, well maintained, easy for patients to find their way around and appropriate to the need of the users, including the less abled.
Referrals
Urgent referrals to other health and social care agencies will be made within two days of the patient consultation or earlier when possible.
We will normally process non-urgent referrals within seven working days of the patient consultation or the doctor’s decision to refer.
Test Results
When a doctor or nurse arranges for an investigation or test to be undertaken they will explain to the patient how to obtain the result which is normally available 10 days after the investigation has been performed.
Transfer Of Medical Records
When the health authority requests the transfer of a medical record on behalf of a former patient, it will be despatched within 14 days and within one working day when the record is required urgently.
Accessing Medical Records
The practice manager will assist any patient wishing to have access to their own medical record, subject to the relevant Acts.
The patient’s doctor will be available to explain medical terminology within the legal timescales.
Privacy And Confidentiality
We will respect our patients' privacy and confidentiality. Appointments with a doctor
For routine consultations and on request we will offer patients an appointment within two working days of the request. These appointments will be assessed through the nurse triage system.
For medically urgent problems we will offer an appointment on the same day as the request.
Waiting Times
Surgeries and clinics will normally start on time.
We expect patients to be seen within 30 minutes of their appointment time and, in the event of a delay, we will offer an explanation.
When a doctor is called away on an emergency we will inform the patients and give them an opportunity to book an alternative appointment or, if preferred, be seen by another doctor.
Home Visits
The practice policy for home visits and how they can be arranged is included in the practice booklet that will be given to patients when they register. Out-Of-Hours emergencies
We will do everything possible to ensure that our system for contacting the duty doctor is easy to follow, reliable and effective.
Patients’ Rights to General Medical Services
Patients have the right to:
- Be registered with a general practitioner.
- See any doctor within the practice, irrespective of whom they are registered with.
- Be offered a health check on joining the practice.
- Receive emergency care at any time from the practice.
- Receive appropriate drugs and medicines within the NHS and Primary Care Group guidelines.
- Be referred for a specialist opinion within the current NHS guideline where appropriate and to be referred for a second opinion if they and the GP agree this is desirable.
- Have the right to review their medical records, subject to the provisions of the Acts, and to know that those working for the NHS are under legal obligation to keep the contents confidential.
- Choose whether or not to take part in medical research or medical student training.
- Receive information about local family doctors' services through the health authority local directory.
- Receive a copy of the practice booklet, setting out the services provided.
- Receive a full and prompt reply to any complaints about the services provided by the practice.
Comments, Suggestions And Complaints
The practice manager is responsible for handling comments, suggestions and complaints about any service provided by the practice.
All constructive comments and suggestions will be given consideration by the practice.
All complaints will be recorded and written complaints will be acknowledged within two working days of receipt.
We will respond to all complaints within 10 working days.
Where a complaint is made about a doctor, the patient will be able to discuss this with another doctor in the practice, if preferred.
Satisfaction Survey
The Practice undertakes a patient satisfaction survey annually and also has a Patient Participation Group. Please contact the Practice Manager for further details.
Changes To Procedures
When changes are introduced to practice procedures that affect patients, we will ensure that these are clearly explained.
Repeat Prescriptions
The procedure for obtaining repeat prescriptions will be explained in our practice booklet.
Repeat prescriptions will be available for collection from the reception desk within 24 hours of the request being received.
Answering The Telephone
We will endeavour to answer the telephone within five rings.
We will always answer politely and courteously and give our name so that you know who you are dealing with.
We will seek information to enable us to deal with the call effectively or pass it to the appropriate person.
Zero Tolerance
Aston University Health Centre aims to provide the best possible health care for its patients. However, there may be circumstances when it would be considered reasonable, or in the best interests of the Practice to remove a patient from the patient list due to unacceptable behaviour. Unacceptable behaviour includes physical violence and any type of verbal or physical abuse, including threats or gestures (whether on or off practice premises), sexual and racial harassment, stalking, inappropriate emotional attachment to a member of the primary care team, any type of discriminatory abuse that is directed towards any member of the primary care team or towards patients or others on practice premises and will not be tolerated.