Dr Borse & Partner
Freedom of Information Publication Scheme
Welcome to Dr Borse & Partner Publication Scheme. This is a guide to the General Practitioners within the Practice Publication Scheme as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Introduction
This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by Dr Borse Surgery. It is a description of the information about our General Practitioners and the Practice, which we make publicly available. It will be reviewed at regular intervals and we will monitor its effectiveness.
How much does it cost?
The publications are all free unless otherwise indicated.
How is the information made available?
The information within each class is available in hard copy. To obtain a copy your request should be directed to the Practice Manager.
Your rights to information
- Ø In addition to accessing the information identified in the Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about Dr Borse Surgery under the NHS Openness Code 1995.
- Ø The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised and run, and how much they cost and how the decisions are made.
- Ø From 1st January 2005 it will oblige the General Practice to respond to requests about information that it holds, and is recorded in any format and it will create a right of access to that information. These rights are subject to some exemptions, which have to be taken into consideration before deciding what information it can release.
- Ø New environmental information regulations may be introduced as early as 2003. These will enable similar access to environmental information as under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
- Ø Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you are also entitled to access your clinical records or any other personal information held about you and you can contact the Practice Manager to do this.
Feedback
If you have any comments about the operation of the Publications Scheme, or how we have dealt with your request for information from the Scheme, please write to:
CLASSES OF INFORMATION
All information at Surgery Name is held, retained and destroyed in accordance with NHS guidelines. Our commitment to publish information excludes any information, which can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the NHS Openness Code or Freedom of Information Act 2000. Where individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are e.g. the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. This applies to all Classes within the Publication Scheme. The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following categories:
1. Who we are
Surgery Name operates as part of NHS Stoke-on-Trent. The practice adheres to a Personal Medical Services contract with NHS Stoke-on-Trent.
The practice aims to follow National Institute for Clinical Excellence and National Service Frameworks Guidelines. The NHS is a very large part of the public sector. A full list of local General Practices is available from NHS Stoke on Trent. Surgery Name provides Personal Medical Services for the geographical area of Hanley and the surrounding area.
The Doctor
Practice Nurses
Practice Manager
2. Our Services
The range of services we provide under contract to the NHS includes: Child Health Surveillance; contraceptive services; maternity medical services (including midwife clinics); baby clinics; disease management clinics (asthma, diabetes, CHD etc); smoking cessation; travel advice and vaccinations; cervical cytology; and immunisations.
A language line service is available for any patients who do not speak English.
The Practice is open from
Outside the hours
cover is provided by the North Staffs Urgent Care Services, Basford.
This service is to be used in the event of an emergency and is not to be used by patients unable to attend normal surgery hours.
The practice is fully computerised and your medical records are held on computer. We also need to share information with the Health Authority, hospitals and other NHS bodies to provide for your care. We feel that it is essential for the care of our patients and to help improve NHS services.
Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you have the right to see your records and have the right to have inaccurate data corrected. There is a charge for this.
The Doctor, Nurse and attached staff use the computer to record clinical data.
The practice staff use the computer to prepare prescriptions, arrange appointments and recall patients. The staff are required to treat patient information in the strictest confidence and have been given training in their responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998.
People who work with the practice, but do not directly provide your care may read patient records. The people are properly trained and have the same duty of confidentiality as the practice staff.
To provide the best possible patient care the practice may at times need to share information with other agencies (for example when referring to a hospital)
Patients have the right to object to their medical records being used like this. Should a patient inform us of this we will enter this into their records. Such requests will be respected except where disclosure is essential to protect the patient or someone else from risk or serious harm.
In any situation where the practice is being asked to release personal information about a patient (when the patient’s identity is part of the data) the practice will only do this with the patients consent.
There are strict security measures in place at the practice, the Health Authority and other NHS bodies to keep your records confidential. Any research project that is undertaken at the practice has to be approved by the Local Ethics Research Committee.
3. Financial and funding information
Dr Borse surgery has a contract with NHS Stoke-on-Trent to provide services to our patients. We have an annual budget for providing these services, and an additional prescribing budget.
The amounts for the above budgets are available
4. Regular publications and information for the public
The practice provides a practice information leaflet which gives details of the services we provide for patients. We also provide a newsletter with up to date information on services provided, along with any changes to the practice.
Leaflets and newsletters are available at reception.Results of practice surveys can be found on our website
5. Complaints
The practice always tries to provide the best service possible to patients, but there may unfortunately be times when patients feel that this has not happened. The practice has an in-house complaints procedure to deal with complaints and grievances. The practice liaises closely with NHS Stoke-on-Trent when dealing with any complaints. We encourage patients to use this procedure to allow us to look into, and if necessary, correct any problems that have be been identified or mistakes that have been made. The practice respects its duty of confidence to patients and a patient’s consent is necessary if a complaint is made by a third party, and not the patient in person.
If a patient wishes to complain we request that they speak to, or write to our Practice Manager, or complete a complaints form. Full details are taken regarding the complaint and a decision will be made on how best to undertake an investigation into that complaint. The practice feels that it is important to deal with complaints swiftly, and patients will be offered an appointment to discuss the details, within 10 working days.
A copy of the practice in-house complaints procedure can be found in Appendix 1
6. Our policies and procedures
The practice has some in-house policies and procedures in place to ensure the safety and well being of both patients and staff.
7. This Publication Scheme
In this class we will publish any changes we make to the Publication Scheme, the criteria on which our information management policies are made and a referral point for all enquiries regarding information management generally in the practice We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.
Appendix 1
In-House Practice Complaints Procedure
Patient Information Leaflet
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate an in-house complaints procedure where we liaise closely with NHS Stoke-on-Trent, as part of the NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
How to Complain
We hope that most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time that they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a few days or at most a few weeks, this will then enable us to establish what happened more easily. If this is not possible, please let us have details of you complaint:
- Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
- Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.
Complaints, in the first instance, should be addressed to the Practice Manager. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with the Practice Manager in order to discuss your concerns. He/ She will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It would be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.
How We Will Deal With Your Complaint
The practice will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to have looked into it within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We will then be in the position to offer you a full explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we look into your complaint, we shall aim to:
- Find out what happened and what went wrong
- Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
- Make sure that you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
- Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t arise again.
Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.
Complaining to your PCT
Our In-House complaints procedure does not affect your right to approach your local PCT which is NHS Stoke-on-Trent. If you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.
Please contact:
Complaints Department
4th Floor London House
Hide Street
Stoke on Trent
ST4 1NF
Tel: 01782 401055