Your Data Matters to the NHS
Information about your health and care helps us to improve your individual care, speed up diagnosis, plan your local services and research new treatments. The NHS is committed to keeping patient information safe and always being clear about how it is used.
How your data is used
Information about your individual care such as treatment and diagnoses is collected about you whenever you use health and care services. It is also used to help us and other organisations for research and planning such as research into new treatments, deciding where to put GP clinics and planning for the number of doctors and nurses in your local hospital. It is only used in this way when there is a clear legal basis to use the information to help improve health and care for you, your family and future generations.
Wherever possible we try to use data that does not identify you, but sometimes it is necessary to use your confidential patient information.
You have a choice
You do not need to do anything if you are happy about how your information is used. If you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you can choose to opt out securely online or through a telephone service. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.
Will choosing this opt-out affect your care and treatment?
No, choosing to opt out will not affect how information is used to support your care and treatment. You will still be invited for screening services, such as screenings for bowel cancer.
What do you need to do?
If you are happy for your confidential patient information to be used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.
To find out more about the benefits of data sharing, how data is protected, or to make/change your opt-out choice visit www.
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.
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.
Do I have to have one?
No, it is not compulsory.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS Care records website
-
This practice handles medical records in-line with laws on data protection and confidentiality.
-
We share medical records with those who are involved in providing you with care and treatment.
-
In some circumstances we will also share medical records for medical research, for example to find out more about why people get ill.
-
We share information when the law requires us to do so, for example, to prevent infectious diseases from spreading or to check the care being provided to you is safe.
-
You have the right to be given a copy of your medical record.
-
You have the right to object to your medical records being shared with those who provide you with care.
-
You have the right to object to your information being used for medical research and to plan health services.
-
You have the right to have any mistakes corrected and to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
-
Please see the 'Practice Fair Processing & Privacy Notice Guidance' and the 'GDPR Patient Leaflet' below for more information.
Requests for information about the General Practitioners and the practice should be made in writing to the practice manager.
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.
Making a complaint
Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily with the person concerned, often at the time they arise, and this may be the approach you try first.
Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, in writing (either using the complaint form or in your own format) as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, giving as much detail as you can, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily. In any event, this should be within 12 months of the incident or within 12 months of you becoming aware of the matter.
If you are a registered patient you can complain about your own care. You are not normally able to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written authority. Please complete the third party consent form, if applicable.
You can use the Comments, suggestions and complaints form to send a complaint.
Alternatively,
Kirstie Fox, Practice Manager
Brant Road and Springcliffe Surgery, 291 Brant Road, Lincoln. LN5 9AB
E-mail:- licb.c83078@nhs.net
You may also make your complaint directly to NHS England, who commission our service:
By telephone: 03003 11 22 33
By email: england.contactus@nhs.net
By post: NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
What We Do Next
We aim to settle complaints as soon as possible.
We will usually acknowledge receipt within three working days, and aim to resolve the matter within ten working days. You will then receive a formal reply in writing, or you may be invited to meet with the person(s) concerned to attempt to resolve the issue. If the matter is likely to take longer than this we will let you know, and keep you informed as the investigation progresses.
When looking into a complaint, we attempt to see what happened and why, to see if there is something we can learn from this, and make it possible for you to discuss the issue with those involved if you wish to do so.
When the investigations are complete, a final written response will be sent to you.
Where your complaint involves more than one organisation (e.g. social services) we will liaise with that organisation so that you receive one coordinated reply. We may need your consent to do this. Where your complaint has been initially sent to an incorrect organisation, we may seek your consent to forward this to the correct person to deal with.
The final response letter will include details of the result of your complaint and also your right to refer the matter further to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (details shown elsewhere in this leaflet) if you remain dissatisfied with the response.
The Practice Complaints Manager is the Practice Manager or the Assistant Practice Manager in their absence.
Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else
We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality. If you wish to make a complaint and are not the patient involved, we will require the written consent of the patient to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with someone else about it. In the event the patient is deceased, then we may agree to respond to a family member or anyone acting on their behalf or who has had an interest in the welfare of the patient.
Please ask at reception for the Complaints Form, which contains a suitable authority for the patient to sign to enable the complaint to proceed. Alternatively, we will send one to you to return to us when we receive your initial written complaint.
Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness, accident or mental capacity, it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances that prevent this in your covering letter.
Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the circumstances above apply. You may also find that if you are complaining on behalf of a child who is capable of making their own complaint, we will expect that child to contact us themselves to lodge their complaint.
We may still need to correspond directly with the patient, or may be able to deal directly with the third party. This depends on the wording of the authority provided.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome…..
You have the right to approach the
Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman.
Their contact details are:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
30 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint (to complain online or download a paper form).
You may also contact:
Lincolnshire Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on Tel: 01529 222265 or email: PALS@lpft.nhs.uk to help you resolve any concerns you may have about our service.
POhWER Advocacy – Tel: 0300 200 0084, email: pohwer@pohwer.net or TEXT the word powher with your name and number to 81025
For a copy of the POhWER Complaints Advocacy Service leaflet, please visit:- https://www.pohwer.net/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=cd4d9a95-4d8c-4bb2-a67f-7d6f4d6d6340
The local Healthwatch - http://www.healthwatch.co.uk/
The IHCA is able to be contacted at: http://www.seap.org.uk/services/nhs-complaints-advocacy/
The Care Quality Commission on 0300 061 6161 or email enquiries@cqc.org.uk