Policies in General
We are required to have a vast number of policies on all sorts of subjects like bullying, infection control and health and safety. Some relevant policies are as follows:
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.
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.
Please see the following document for more information on how we use your medical records
Privacy Notice
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 General Data Protection Regulations 2018 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.
Chaperones
Doctors sometimes need to perform intimate examinations. This is a routine part of our job and we are not embarassed about it, and most patients prefer us to just get on with it. We take care that doors are locked and that patients are treated with courtesy and respect, and we try to cause as little discomfort as possible.
However, if either patients or doctors wish to have a chaperone present then that can be arranged. Just ask.
You may also prefer to see a doctor of your own sex. Once again, please just ask and we will usually be able to arrange it.
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.
Bridge Street Surgery operate a zero tolerance policy to violence & abusive language
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.