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 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 more details of the information we hold and share and how you can amend this please see our Privacy Notice below.
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 in writing - please see form below. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Please see this short video for further information on “How the NHS uses your patient data from GP Practices”
NHS Digital will not collect patients’ names or addresses. Any other data that could directly identify patients (such as NHS Number, date of birth, full postcode) is replaced with unique codes which are produced by de-identification software before the data is shared with NHS Digital.
This process is called pseudonymisation and means that patients will not be identified directly in the data. NHS Digital will be able to use the software to convert the unique codes back to data that could directly identify patients in certain circumstances, and where there is a valid legal reason.
We will collect structured and coded data from patient medical records.
NHS Digital will collect:
- data about diagnoses, symptoms, observations, test results, medications, allergies, immunisations, referrals, recalls and appointments, including information about physical, mental and sexual health.
- data on sex, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
- data about staff who have treated patients.
NHS Digital does not collect:
- name and address (except for postcode, protected in a unique coded form).
- written notes (free text), such as the details of conversations with doctors and nurses.
- images, letters, and documents.
- coded data that is not needed due to its age - for example medication, referral and appointment data that is over 10 years old.
- coded data that GPs are not permitted to share by law - for example certain codes about IVF treatment, and certain information about gender re-assignment.
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.
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 - you can find further details of the procedure and forms here or email info.newcourt@nhs.net
You may wish to seek support from the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at Wiltshire CCG. You can contact PALS:
- By post: Write to PALS, Wiltshire CCG, Southgate House, Pans Lane, Devizes SN10 5EQ
- By email: Using scwcsu.palscomplaints@nhs.net
- By phone: On 0300 561 0250
If you are dissatisfied with a response from the Practice regarding a complaint, you may wish to refer your concerns to NHS England on 0300 311 22 33 or email england.contactus@nhs.net or to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, telephone 0345 015 4033.
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.
Zero Tolerance Social Media Policy
Chaperone Policy
We fully understand if you feel you would like another member of staff to be present if you need to be examined by one of the doctors. Please see our Chaperone policy