Practice Policies

Your Well-Being Comes First

We are committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment for all patients.

• All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination, or procedure if they feel one is required.
• A chaperone can be a trained member of staff (a formal chaperone) or, if preferred, a friend or relative.
• If you would like a chaperone present during your appointment, please advise the reception team when booking or inform the clinician.

Please note: If a chaperone is not available, the clinician may ask you to reschedule your appointment to a time when one can be present

We need to hold personal information about you on our computer systems and in paper records to help us to look after your health needs, and your doctor is responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping. Please help to keep your record up to date by informing us of any changes to your circumstances.

Doctors and staff in the practice have access to your medical records to enable them to do their jobs. From time to time information may be shared with others involved in your care if it is necessary. Anyone with access to your record is properly trained in confidentiality issues and is governed by both legal and contractual duty to keep your details private.

All information about you is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental loss.

In some circumstances we may be required by law to release your details to statutory or other official bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public health issues. In other circumstance you may be required to give written consent before information is released – such as for medical reports for insurance, solicitors etc.

To ensure your privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone or fax unless we are sure that we are talking to you. Information will not be disclosed to family, friends or spouses unless we have prior written consent, and we do not, leave messages with others.

You have a right to see your records if you wish. Please ask at reception if you would like further details about our patient information leaflet. An appointment may be required. In some circumstances a fee may be payable.

This practice is committed to preserving, as far as is practical, the security of data used by our information systems. This means that we will take all reasonable actions to;

Maintain the Confidentiality of all data within the practice by:

• Ensuring that only authorised persons can gain access to our systems
• Not disclosing information to anyone who has no right to see it

Maintain the integrity of all data within the practice by:

• Taking care over input
• Ensuring that all changes are reported and monitored
• Checking that the correct record is on the screen before updating
• Reporting all apparent errors and ensuring that they are resolved

Maintain the availability of all data by:

• Ensuring that all equipment is protected from intruders
• Ensuring that backups are taken at regular, predetermined intervals
• Ensuring that contingency is provided for possible failure or equipment theft and that any such contingency plans are tested and kept up to date

Additionally we will take all reasonable measures to comply with our legal responsibilities under:

• The Data Protection Act (2018)
• The Health and Safety at Work Act (1992)
• The Access to Health Records Act (1990)

What is the National Data Opt‑Out?

• The National Data Opt‑Out (NDO) lets you choose whether your confidential health information is used for research and planning by NHS or approved organisations.
• It does not affect how your data is used for your individual care.

What Data Does It Apply To?

• Your data that is identifiable and confidential (e.g., health conditions, treatment, diagnoses).
• It does not apply to fully anonymised or aggregated data.

How to Opt Out
You can set or change your opt-out choice:

• Online: Go to NHS Your NHS Data Matters NHS England Digital
• NHS App: Open the app, go to Your Health > Choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning.
• By Phone: Call 0300 303 5678 (9am–5pm, Mon‑Fri, excluding bank holidays)
• By Post: Ask for a paper form or download it from the NHS website.

What Happens After You Opt Out

• Your choice is stored against your NHS Number in a national system.
• It may take up to 21 days for your opt-out to be fully applied to all data disclosures.
• You can change your mind at any time; your latest choice will always override the previous one.

Exceptions

• The opt-out does not apply if you’ve given explicit consent for a specific research project.
• It does not apply when data is shared because of a legal duty or public health risk (for example, communicable disease management).

Your Rights & Privacy

• Your decision will be respected by all NHS services that must comply with this policy.
• Having an opt-out will not affect your care or how you are treated by your GP or the NHS.
• If you have any questions or want help, speak to our reception or contact our IT Manager or Reception Manager

Contact Us

• Practice Name: The Park Medical Practice
• IT Manager – Ben Birkinshaw
• Email / Phone: enquiries.parkmedical@nhs.net – 01772 970150

The following IT systems are in use at the practice:

• Referral Management (using NHS numbers in referrals)
• Electronic Appointment Booking (the facility to book routine appointments online and, similarly, to cancel appointments
• Online booking of repeat prescriptions
• Summary Care Record (uploading details of your current medication and allergies to the national “spine” so that these are available for doctors involved in your care elsewhere)
• GP to GP transfers (the electronic transfer of records from practice to practice when you re-register
• Patient Access to records (the facility to view your medical records online).

If you are not already registered for online access and would like to be please complete our online form.

If you would like access to your medical records enabled or would like to opt out of the local or national summary care record, please contact reception.

Your patient record is held securely and confidentially on the electronic system at your GP practice. If you require treatment in another NHS healthcare setting such as an Emergency Department or Minor Injury Unit, those treating you would be better able to give you appropriate care if some of the information from the GP practice were available to them.

This information can now be shared electronically via: The Summary Care Record, used nationally across England

The information will be used only by authorised health care professionals directly involved in your care. Your permission will be asked before the information is accessed, unless the clinician is unable to ask you and there is a clinical reason for access.

If you would like to opt out, please ask reception for our opt out form.

A parent or guardian can request to opt out children under 16 but ultimately it is the GP’s decision whether to create the records or not, because of their duty of care to the child. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 and feel that they are able to understand, then you should make this information available to them.

Who Has Access?

Across all health care settings, including urgent care, community care and outpatient departments in England.

Information Source

GP record

Content

• Your current medications
• Any allergies you have
• Any bad reactions you have had to medicines
• Additional information (upon request to your GP)

For more information visit:

www.digital.nhs.uk

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.