Confidential patient data will be shared within the practice health care team and with other health care professionals to whom you are referred for care.

Patient data may also be required for the broader purposes of public health and audit, research, the provision of health care services, teaching and training. Data disclosed will be kept to the minimum required to serve the purpose and, if at all possible, will be anonymised before disclosure.

Confidential and identifiable patient information will not be disclosed otherwise without explicit patient consent unless:

• It is a matter of life and death or serious harm to you or to another individual
• It is overwhelmingly in the public interest to do so
• There is a legal obligation to do so

All individuals with access to your data have a professional and/or contractual duty of confidentiality.

If you are concerned about any of the ways in which your confidential data is used further information is available from the Practice Manager. You are entitled to register an objection which will be respected if this is possible.

The practice is required under the terms of the latest GP contract to allocate all patients a named accountable GP.

Individual patients will be informed of their named accountable GP at the first appropriate interaction with the practice.

However, the practice does keep a record of your registered (accountable) GP. If you wish to be told the name of your Accountable GP, please ask the receptionists when you are next in the surgery.

Please note: there is no need to telephone the practice for this information.

Where a patient expresses a preference as to which GP they have been assigned, the practice will make every effort to accommodate this request.

Having a named GP does not prevent you seeing any other doctor in the practice. Your named GP will not be available at all times and if your needs are urgent, you may need to discuss them with an alternative doctor.

Your named GP will have overall responsibility for the care and support that our surgery provides to you. They will also work with other relevant health and care professionals, who are involved in your care, to ensure that your care package meets your individual needs.

Practice Manager.

Complaints Guide

Please click here to view our Statement of Purpose document.

Thank you.

Privacy Policy

2021/22

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 who worked for six months or more in Malmesbury Medical Practice in the last financial year was £75,781 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 15 part-time GPs.

NHS England publication of GP Net Earnings for Malmesbury Medical Practice for the year ended 31 December 2020

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

The average pay for GPs who worked for six months or more in Malmesbury Medical Practice in the last financial year was £68,525 before Tax and National Insurance. This is for 15 part-time GP’s.

Schedule of Fees

Medical Examinations

Pre-employment Medical Examination: £120

HGV, PSV, Taxi Driver Examinations: £120

Elderly Driver Motoring Medical Examination: £120

Diabetic Driver’s Examination: £120

Sports Medical Examination: £120

Fitness to Travel Examination and Report : £120

Seat Belt Exemption Examination: £120

Holiday Cancellation Report and Examination: £120

PRIVATE Consultation & Private Prescription Includes ‘Overseas’ patients: £120

PRIVATE Consultation Includes ‘Overseas’ patients: £120

Reports/Forms

DVLA: £36.50

Private Claim Forms: £30

Fitness to Travel/Fitness to Exercise/To Whom: £20

Insurance Company Holiday Cancellation Report: £30

Sickness/Accident Benefit Report: £45

Employers Report and Opinion (No examination): £79.20

Employers Report and Opinion (Local Authority): £40

Seat Belt Exemption Report: £50

Disclosure of Medical Records to Solicitor: £30

Photocopying Medical Records (per side): £0.50

Access to Medical Records: £10

Housing Report: £50

Blue Badge Report: £25.15

Benefits Agency£17

To Whom Letters: £25

We keep both manual and computerised records and are fully registered under the Data Protection Act.

We will keep your medical records up to date and confidential.

If you transfer to another area or doctor your records will be dispatched promptly.

You have the right to see your records (subject to the relevant Act) and the Practice Manager can advise you on this.

From November this year, patients using the NHS app will be able to view all new entries made in their GP records. This is an NHS initiative to give patients greater access to their health information.

Upon reviewing your records, you may feel that certain notes made by our clinicians are incorrect and you may wish to request that they are removed.

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 state that an individual has the ‘right to be forgotten’, which is sometimes called the ‘right to erasure’, however medical records are slightly different in that they hold special category data. The GP’s (or other clinician’s) opinion at the time will not alter, therefore we cannot remove information simply at the patient’s request.

In line with the General Medical Council’s (GMC) guidance, Doctors have an obligation to:

· Keep clear, accurate and legible records.

· Make records at the time the events happen, or as soon as possible afterwards.

Source: https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/good-medical-practice—english-20200128_pdf-51527435.pdf

The NHS constitution states that as a patient, “You have the right to have any factual inaccuracies in your health record corrected, however there are limited exceptions to this right, there is no obligation to amend something in a health record that is a professional opinion”, i.e. the GP’s opinion at the time.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supplements-to-the-nhs-constitution-for-england/the-handbook-to-the-nhs-constitution-for-england#patients-and-the-public-your-rights-and-the-nhs-pledges-to-you

This also applies to data that forms part of your medical record, for example letters and forms issued by other Healthcare organisations involved in your care that have supplied copies to us as your General Practice/registered GP. Data on your record is only to be used in relation to direct care purposes, and if considered to be used for anything else, it would need to have the relevant lawful basis and other data protection principles applied.

Should you request any corrections or redactions we will review your request and if we decide we are not able to comply we will inform you of this decision. We will also ensure we add details of your request to your record and the reasons why we have not been able to comply. Please make any such requests in writing via our website.

Understanding your Health Record

You can view some commonly used abbreviations here, which may help you understand your records.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/nhs-app-help-and-support/health-records-in-the-nhs-app/abbreviations-commonly-found-in-medical-records/

Whilst we will endeavour to respond to any queries about your records, please bear in mind that we must prioritise our workload and deal with patients that are unwell and need us. You can prebook telephone calls and face to face appointments online via the NHS app should you wish to discuss a particular issue, but please do not use appointments purely to request something is removed from or changed within your notes. As above, please contact us in writing, via info.ghs@nhs.net and we will liaise with the clinical team and respond within an appropriate time frame – as with most administrative requests this can be up to 28 days.

Car Parking

One of the major benefits of our new facility is ample parking or patients with some 70 bays available. These are located at the rear of the building and include designated disabled parking.

Children and Babies

Pushchairs can be left in the foyer of the main entrance. The area is found immediately on the right of the entrance. Push chairs should not be brought into the surgery as there is no safe place for them to be parked. There is a dedicated baby-changing and baby feeding facility.

This room is adjacent to our main waiting area (Area “A”). This can be found off from in the cloakroom at the rear of the surgery. Children visiting the surgery are welcome to play with the toys provided but parents are asked to supervise them at all times and return the toys to the appropriate areas before leaving the surgery.

Disabled Visitors

We aim to ensure staff are aware of the needs of our disabled patients. The building is fully DDA compliant and we are keen to ensure that the service you receive is not diminished in any way. Two lifts allow unrestricted access to any services on the first floor.

The surgery has a wheelchair for use of patients in the surgery and a hearing loop facility in reception.

The NHS asks you for information about yourself so that you can receive proper care and treatment. This information is kept together with details of your care, because it may be needed if you are seen again.

The NHS may use some of this information for other reasons for example:

• to help improve the health of the public generally
• to see that the NHS runs efficiently
• to plan for the future
• to train NHS staff
• to pay bills
• to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone

Sometimes the law requires the NHS to pass on information: for example, to notify a birth. The NHS Central Register for England and Wales contains basic personal details of all patients registered with a general practitioner. The register does not contain clinical information.

You may be receiving care and treatment from other organisations as well as the NHS. In these circumstances it may be necessary to share some information about you so that you receive the best possible treatment.

We only ever use or pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone’s interests. Whenever we can we shall remove details which identify you. The sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information is strictly controlled by law.

If your doctor is requested to report information to external agencies such as solicitors or insurance companies, he/she will only do so with your explicit consent.

Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

If at any time you would like to know more about how we use your information you can speak to the surgery’s practice manager or write to: Patient Advice and Liaison Service ,  Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, Southgate House, Pans Lane, Devizes Wiltshire SN10 5EQ.

You have a right of access to your health records

Patient Participation Group

Patient and public involvement is a priority for the Surgery and NHS as a whole, and we listen carefully to the views of the local population. If you are interested in getting involved you could join our very successful patient participation group at the practice please contact our main reception for details. The Group meets six times a year on Monday evenings .

The group is always keen to have new members on board and would particularly like have some representation from ‘the younger’ end of the spectrum, perhaps young mums for example.

Patient Survey

You may be asked to take part in a patient survey- these have been very useful, and we have modified and improved our services following these. We also have a suggestions box in the main waiting room which patients are able to leave their suggestion for us.

You have a right to expect a high standard of medical care from our practice and we will try at all times to provide the very best care possible within the resources available. In order to assist us in this we require that you take full responsibility for ensuring that you do not abuse the service. For example, it is your responsibility to ensure that you keep medical appointments and follow the advice given.

Very occasionally a practice/patient relationship breaks down and the patient may choose to register with a different practice. The practice also has the right to remove that patient from their list. This would generally only follow a warning that had failed to remedy the situation and we would normally give the patient a specific reason for the removal.

Practice Charter

All members of our Primary Health Care Team are committed to achieving high quality services for you, our patients. We will do everything we can to keep you healthy, treat you as an individual and make every effort to respect your personal beliefs. We will also try to ensure that you have easy access to the services available for your use.

This charter sets down the standards of services which we feel we can deliver. We will review these standards and, where possible, improve on them.

Surgery Premises

surgery will be warm, welcoming, well maintained, and appropriate to the needs of all our patients.

Reception

You will be welcomed, acknowledged, and your needs dealt with promptly and courteously.

Telephone

We aim to answer the telephone promptly and courteously.

We will try not to keep you on ‘hold’ for more than a couple of minutes- if necessary we will ring you back.

Practice Leaflet:

All new patients will receive a copy of our practice leaflet and copies will be displayed at the reception desk.

Surgery Premises:

Our surgery building will be welcoming, easy for patients to find their way around and appropriate to the needs of users, including the disabled.

Patients’ rights to General Medical Services:

Patients have the rights to:

• be registered with a General Practitioner
• change doctor if desired
• be offered a health check on joining the practice
• receive emergency care at any time from the practice
• receive appropriate drugs and medicines
• be referred for specialist or second opinion if they and the GP agrees
• have the right to view their medical records, subject to the Acts and to know that those working for the NHS are under legal obligation to keep the contents confidential.

Changes to Procedures:

When changes are introduced to practice procedures that affect patients, we will ensure that these are clearly explained, by means of its brochure; waiting room noticeboard or individual leaflets, giving as much notice as practicable.

Repeat Prescriptions:

To ensure the best possible knowledge of your personal health, these will be signed by your usual GP wherever possible.

Referrals:

• Urgent referrals to other health and social care agencies will be made within one working day of the patient consultation. Where requested, our GPs will refer you to a private health provider.
• We will normally process non-urgent referrals within five working days of the patient consultation or the doctor’s decision to refer.

Test Results:

When a doctor or nurse arranges for a test to be taken the patient will be informed how to obtain the result. (results are normally available after 2PM the following day but some can take a lot longer)

Transfer of Medical Records:

The Practice will endeavour to dispatch any medical record required by the SBS within seven working days and same day if the request is urgent.

Privacy and Confidentiality:

We will respect our patients’ privacy, dignity and confidentiality at all times.

Appointments:

With a Doctor: For routine consultations we will endeavour to offer patients an appointment within two working days of the request.    For medically urgent requests, we will offer an appointment on the same day.

With a Practice Nurse: For routine appointments we will offer an appointment within five working days.

If there is a delay in the appointment wait (when you arrive) of more than 20 minutes we will let you know.

We are happy to update you on any delay situation if you feel that you have been waiting too long.

Home Visits:

We are unable to guarantee a specific doctor will visit you as this depends on availability and other factors. The decision to home visit will be at the doctors’ discretion.

 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.

Waiting Times:

• surgeries will normally start on time.
• we expect patients to be seen within twenty 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, to be seen by another doctor.

With these rights come responsibilities and for the patients this means:

• Courtesy to the staff at all times – remember they are working under doctors’ orders.
• Responding in a positive way to questions asked by the reception staff.
• To attend appointments on time or give the practice adequate notice that they wish to cancel.   Someone else could use your appointment!
• An appointment is for one person only – where another member of the family needs to be seen or discussed, another appointment should be made and the Medical Record be made available.
• Patients should make every effort when consulting the surgery to make best use of nursing and medical time – home visits should be medically justifiable and not requested for social convenience.
• When patients are asked to give 48 hours notice for repeat prescriptions, please give us this time as it is to allow for accurate prescribing.
• Out-of-hours calls (e.g. evenings; nights & weekends) should only be requested if they are felt to be truly necessary.

Electronic Data Sharing

Introduction

This page explains why information is collected about you, the ways in which this information may be used and who will be collecting it.

Summary Care Record (SCR)

Summary Care Record contains important information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you have had. This does not include diagnosis or procedures.

Allowing healthcare staff access to this information can prevent mistakes being made when caring for you in an emergency or when your GP practice is closed. Your Summary Care Record will also include your name, address, date of birth and your unique NHS Number to help identify you correctly. If you and your GP decide to include more information it can be added, but only with your express permission.

For more information: Phone 0300 123 3020 or visit https://digital.nhs.uk/summary-care-records

With your consent, additional information can be added to create an Enhanced Summary Care Record. This could include your care plans which will help ensure you receive the appropriate care in the future. Care professionals will ask your permission to view your SCR. If you do not want an SCR, please state on the consent form below.

TPP SystmOne Data Sharing

The practice uses a clinical computer system called SystmOne to store your medical information. The system is also used by other GP practices, Child Health Services, Community Services, Hospitals, Out of Hours, Palliative Care services and other NHS bodies. This means your information can be shared with other clinicians so that everyone caring for you is fully informed about your medical history including medication and allergies. You can control how your medical information is shared with other organisations that use this system.

1. Sharing Out – This controls whether your information stored in the practice can be shared with other NHS services
2. Sharing In – This controls whether information made shareable at other NHS care services can be viewed by us, your GP practice, or not.

Benefits of sharing information

Sharing information can help improve understanding, responses to different treatments and potential solutions. Information will also help to:

• Provide better information to out of hours and emergency services
• Prevent prescribing of medication to which you may already have an allergy
• Make more informed prescribing decisions about drugs and dosages avoid unnecessary duplication in prescribing
• Increase clinician confidence when providing care
• Allow results of investigations, such as X-rays and laboratory tests to be shared
• Reduce referrals, ambulance journey admissions, tests, time wastage and visits to healthcare premises
• Enable other clinicians to find out basic details about you, such as address and next of kin

Do I have a choice?

Yes. You have the right to prevent confidential information about you from being shared or used for any purpose other than providing your care, except in special circumstances. If you do not want information that identifies you to be shared outside this Practice, complete the sheet enclosed in this leaflet. This will prevent your confidential information being used other than where necessary by law.

Do I need to do anything?

Note your decisions on the form below and return to Reception. You can change your mind at any time, just complete another form.

Summary Care Record and Data Sharing patient Form

We operate a zero tolerance policy for abuse and aggressive behaviour in the surgery. Any incident where it is reported that a patient has been displaying such aggressive behaviour, will be taken very seriously and may lead to them being removed from the surgery list.