Practice Policies & Patient Information
Complaints
Should you be concerned about any matter within the practice we ask that you discuss it with a member of staff at the time it occurs. This way, we can try to resolve the problem immediately. Formal complaints should be made to the practice manager in writing, by telephone or in person by appointment.
Constructive suggestions are welcome. You can leave these via our email, available on the feedback Page. There is also a complaints information leaflet available.
Alternatively, you could contact the PALS information as below.
Patient Advice And Liaison Service
PALS provides free, informal, confidential help and advice for patients, carers and their families. We can provide information about local primary healthcare services. We aim to sort out problems quickly on your behalf. We use your feedback to improve the quality of our services.
PALS may be able to help if your query relates to primary care services such as; GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacies.
Telephone number: 0800 328 5640
Email: mailto:feedback.aylesburyvaleccg@nhs.net
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 the Health Board and Government 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. Further information is at https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/sharing-your-health-records/.
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.
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.
No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
GP Contract
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. Our accountant has given us the following information;
The average pay for GPs working in the Edlesborough and Pitstone surgeries in the last financial year was £22.77 per hour before tax and National Insurance.
GP Net Earnings
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 working in EDLESBOROUGH & PITSTONE SURGERIES in the 2019/20 financial year was £64,522 before tax and National Insurance.
This is for 2 full time GPs and 3 part time GPs who worked in the practice for more than 6 months.
Sharing Your Information
National Data Opt-out information
The data held in your GP medical records is shared with other healthcare professionals for the purposes of your individual care. It is also shared with other organisations to support health and care planning and research.
If you do not want your personally identifiable patient data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except your own care, you can register an opt-out with your GP practice. This is known as a Type 1 Opt-out.
Type 1 Opt-outs may be discontinued in the future. If this happens then they may be turned into a National Data Opt-out. Your GP practice will tell you if this is going to happen and if you need to do anything. More information about the National Data Opt-out is here: NHS record sharing
You can use this form to:
- register a Type 1 Opt-out, for yourself or for a dependent (if you are the parent or legal guardian of the patient) (to Opt-out).
- withdraw an existing Type 1 Opt-out, for yourself or a dependent (if you are the parent or legal guardian of the patient) if you have changed your preference (Opt-in).
This decision will not affect individual care and you can change your choice at any time, using this form.
This CCG privacy notice explains why your GP practice collects information about you, how that information may be used and how we keep it confidential
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.
Summary Care Record
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.
Who Can See it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
How do I Know if I Have One?
Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by looking at our interactive map or by asking your GP.
Do I Have to Have One?
No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along to the surgery. You can use the form at the foot of this page.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS Care records website.
For information about dissent from disclosure of personal confidential data see the link below: please note your information can be used unless you opt out of this scheme.
- https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/
Training Practice
The practice is approved for training of general practitioners. Fully qualified doctors spend up to a year with us to complete their training. By the time they come to us they have already spent several years in hospital medicine.
In our practice, we accommodate the following levels of Doctors in Training:
- F2: Fully qualified doctor with at least one year experience of working in hospital.
- ST1: Fully qualified doctor in their first year of GP training.
- ST3: Fully qualified doctor in their final year of GP training.
Occasionally you may be asked if you are willing to have your consultation videotaped. This is used to help doctors to assess and improve their consultation skills and their ability to talk to patients. No intimate examinations will be recorded and the camera will be turned off immediately if you are unhappy at any stage.
If you agree to the recording of your consultation you will be asked to sign a consent form before and after you have seen the doctor. The videotape is subject to the same degree of confidentiality as patient records. The tape will be used for teaching consultation techniques and for examining training doctors in communications skills.
If the tape is to be viewed by other doctors outside the practice the viewers will be asked to give a written undertaking to maintain confidentiality.
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.