Confidentiality

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.

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.

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Freedom of Information

The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required to adopt by 1st January 2009.

Model Publication Scheme - further information

Comments & Suggestions

We always try to give you the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel that this has not happened. This explains what to do if you have a complaint about the service we provide for you. We hope that you will follow it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, put right any problems that you have identified or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure it will not affect your rights to complain to the East of England Strategic Health Authority if you so wish. The appropriate contact address is NHS East of England, 2-4 Victoria House, Capital Park, Fulbourn, Cambridge. CB21 5XB.

Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and patient’s consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by that patient in person. If you wish to make a complaint, then telephone or write to our Business Partner, Peter Knights, who will take full details of your complaint and decide how best to investigate and resolve it. If your complaint involves a Doctor you may prefer to approach that Doctor directly. We think that it is important to deal with complaints swiftly, so you will normally be offered an appointment for a meeting to discuss matters within seven days.

Occasionally, if we have to make a lot of enquiries, it might take longer, but we will keep you informed. You may bring a friend or relative with you to the meeting. We will try to address your concerns fully, provide you with an explanation and discuss any action that might be needed. We hope that, at the end of the meeting, you will feel satisfied that we have dealt with the matter thoroughly. However, if this is not so and you wish to continue with your complaint, we will direct you to the appropriate authorities who will be able to help you.

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The Health Service Ombudsman

The Health Service Ombudsman has published a booklet that describes the ‘six principles for remedy’ in relation to complaints handling and involves:

1. Getting it right
2. Being customer focused
3. Being open and accountable
4. Acting fairly and proportionately
5. Putting things right
6. Seeking continuous improvements

If you remain unhappy after everything has been done to try to resolve your concern or complaint you have the right to approach the Ombudsman.
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
Write: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP.

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.

So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible.

PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.

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What does PALS do?

In particular, PALS will:

• Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry
• Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
• Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
• Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups outside the NHS
• Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally
• Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
• Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying problems or gaps in services and reporting them.

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Find out more

If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the standards it should strive to achieve , follow this link.

GP Training 

We usually have a G.P. Registrar, who is always a fully qualified medical practitioner, working in the practice for a year before taking up a career position. In addition, as part of the CGC (Cambridge Graduate Course) we have post-graduate medical students attached to the practice who attend surgeries and tutorials. You may be asked to see them or be examined by them but always under the supervision of one of the doctors.

You may be asked if you would be prepared to take part in teaching. If you agree to then thank you and we will get in contact when the teaching is relevant to your condition.

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Video recording of Consultations

At times you may be asked to contribute to teaching, learning and assessment within medical education by having your consultation with your doctor video recorded. The recording will only be undertaken with your written consent. Intimate physical examinations will not be recorded and the camera can be switched off on request. We thank you for your help but recognise your right not to take part if you so wish.