You will be treated with respect and as a partner in your care. Being a partner means you have responsibilities too.

We will:

• Ensure our patients have 24-hour access to medical advice.
• Aim for you to have access to a suitably qualified medical professional within 48 hours of your initial contact during surgery hours, or in an urgent case, the same day.
• Work in partnership with you to achieve the best medical care possible.
• Involve you and listen to your opinions and views in all aspects of your medical care.
• The prevention of disease, illness and injury is a primary concern.

• Let us know if you intend to cancel an appointment or are running late.
• Treat staff with courtesy and respect. Reception staff may have to ask some personal questions to assist us in providing you with the best service
• Inform the practice staff of any alterations in your circumstances, such as change of surname, address or telephone number. Please ensure that we have your correct telephone number, even if it’s ex-directory.

As patients, you are responsible for your own health and that of any dependents. It is important that you adhere to information and advice given to you by health professionals, and co-operate with the practice in endeavouring to keep you healthy.

The practice is registered and complies with the Data Protection Act 1998. Any request for access to notes by a patient, patient’s representative or outside body will be dealt with in accordance with the Act. Please contact the Practice Manager for further information.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was passed on 30 November 2000. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, with full access granted in January 2005. The Act sets out exemptions to that right and places certain obligations on public authorities.

FOI replaced the Open Government Code of Practice, which has been in operation since 1994.

Data Protection and FOI – how do the two interact?

The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force on 1 March 2000. It provides living individuals with a right of access to personal information held about them. The right applies to all information held in computerised form and also to non-computerised information held in filing systems structured so that specific information about particular individuals can retrieved readily.

Individuals already have the right to access information about themselves (personal data), which is held on computer and in some paper files under the Data Protection Act 1998.

The right also applies to those archives that meet these criteria. However, the right is subject to exemptions, which will affect whether information is provided. Requests will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

The Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor’s Department. A few of its strategic objectives being:

• To improve people’s knowledge and understanding of their rights and responsibilities
• Seeking to encourage an increase in openness in the public sector
• Monitoring the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information
• Developing a data protection policy which properly balances personal information privacy with the need for public and private organisations to process personal information

The Data Protection Act does not give third parties rights of access to personal information for research purposes.

The FOI Act does not give individuals access to their personal information, though if a request is made, the Data Protection Act gives the individual this right. If the individual chooses to make this information public it could be used alongside non-personal information gained by the public under the terms of the FOI Act.

COPYING OF CORRESPONDANCE

The Department of Health has a policy of encouraging healthcare professionals to supply patients with a copy of letters relating to their health. 

These letters will only include copies initiated within the Practice and written to other healthcare professionals external to the Practice (i.e. Referrals)

 Should you require any of these copies please make your request in writing. 

The provision of copies of letters not initiated within the Practice (e.g. Hospital/Consultant letters) will not be permitted, as the responsibility for the provision (or Otherwise) of these lies with the originator.  However the patient may still be entitled to receive copies of these under the Access to Medical Records Act, Data Protection Act, or other relevant legislation, subject to the payment of appropriate fees.
 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 aims to produce a culture of openness in public bodies, by providing members of the public with the right to access to information held.  The main purpose behind this is to show how public money is being used.

GP Practices, although not government owned, are considered to be public bodies for the purposes of this Act.  Therefore members of the public can request information from them.  This right came into force in 2005.  GP Practices are required to make information available by a "publication scheme" http://www.foi.nhs.uk/.  It will include information commonly requested and is available on request.

Confidentiality

Data Protection

Health and Safety

Practice complaints

Removal of Patients

Zero Tolerance

Fees

Feedback
We offer an in-house procedure for looking at comments, suggestions and complaints about the services we provide.  Our practice manager will give you any further information required.
 
Occasionally we conduct a patient satifaction survey the results of which help us to improve our services. Our aim is to provide the highest possible standard of service and we try to deal swiftly with any problems that occur.

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.
We take complaints very seriously. If you would like to make a complaint regarding the surgery or the services we offer, please contact the Practice Manager by telephone or, if you prefer, in writing. Every effort will be made to answer your concerns as soon as possible.

Sutherland Lodge Surgery
115 Baddow Road
Chelsmsford
Essex CM2 7PY 
 

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Zero Tolerance

The practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive and/or aggressive comments, cursing and/or swearing, physical contact and/or aggressive gestures.

The practice will request the removal of any patient from the practice list who is aggressive or abusive towards a doctor, member of staff, other patient, or who damages property.

All instances of actual physical abuse on any doctor or member of staff, by a patient or their relatives will be reported to the police as an assault.

Training

Your doctors are involved in the post-graduate education of young qualified doctors. These men and women are attached to the practice for periods of six to twelve months to gain further experience in family medicine. They bring up-to-date knowledge of hospital practice into our lives and patients will find their approach refreshing and helpful. Sometimes video recording is used for training purposes, we will of course always ask your permission prior to the consultation.

We also teach medical students and sometimes you may be asked to see the doctor or nurse with a student present. You will always be asked beforehand if this is acceptable and you may ask for the student to withdraw if you prefer to have your consultation in private.