Confidentiality & Medical Records
Privacy Including GDPR
GDPR is a law that determines how personal data is processed and kept safe and the legal rights that you have in relation to your own data.
What does GDPR mean for you:
Data must be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently.
It must be collected for specific, explicit and legitimate purposes.
It must be limited to what is necessary for the purpose for which it is processed.
Information must be accurate and kept up to date.
Data must be held securely.
It can only be retained for as long as is necessary for the reason it was collected.
Please see our Privacy Notices for further information.
Northdown Surgery - Privacy Notices
Freedom of Information
Information about the General Practioners 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 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made through the practice manager and may be subject to an administration charge. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
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.
Please find attached our Practice Complaints Procedure.
Practice Complaints Procedure
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.