Chaperone Policy

The practice will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are indicated – these will only be carried out with your express agreement and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.

All patients are entitled to be accompanied by a friend or family member.

You may also request a chaperone when making the appointment or on arrival at the surgery (please let the receptionist know) or at any time during the consultation.

The practice is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times.

If you would like to see a full version of the practice’s Chaperone Policy, or have any questions or comments, please ask to speak to the Practice Manager.

Disabled Access

We make every effort to make all our surgeries accessible for disabled patients. At each site there is access via a ramp to the main door and we have a wheelchair available for use in every surgery.

St Marychurch surgery – consultations upstairs

Our surgery at St Marychurch has some upstairs consultation rooms. There is a stair lift at the surgery to give disabled patients access to the first floor consultation rooms.

If you do not want to use the stair lift, then please let the reception team know when you are booking an appointment. We can always make arrangments for you to be seen downstairs.

Hearing Difficulties

If you experience hearing difficulties when being called in to see the doctor or nurse, please do let us know so that we can set up an alert on your medical records and personally collect you from the waiting room. Alternatively, we do have the facility of a portable induction loop. If you would like to use this, please ask at reception for assistance.

Accessible Information Standard

The Accessible Information Standard is a law which aims to make sure people with a disability or sensory loss are given information they can understand, and the communication support they need. The practice complies with the Accessible Information Standard.

Please let a member of the practice team know if you require communication in a specific format (for example, large font text or Braille).

 

Data Protection

In order to provide the right level of care, we are required to hold personal information about you on our computer systems and in paper records to help us to look after your health needs, and your doctor is responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping. Please help to keep your record up to date by informing us of any changes to your circumstances.

Confidentiality and Personal Information

Doctors and staff in the practice have access to your medical records to enable them to do their jobs. From time to time information may be shared with others involved in your care if that is necessary. Anyone with access to your record is has received training about confidentiality and data protection and is governed by both legal and contractual duty to keep your details private.

All information about you is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental data loss.

In some circumstances we may be required by law to release your details to statutory or other official bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public health issues. In other circumstance you may be required to give written consent before information is released – such as for medical reports for insurance, solicitors etc.

To ensure your privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone or fax unless we are sure that we are talking to you. Information will not be disclosed to family, friends or spouses unless we have prior written consent, and we do not leave messages with others or on telephone answer machines unless we have been given permission to do so.

You have a right to see your medical records if you wish. Please ask at reception if you would like to apply to do this.

Confidentiality

You can rest assured that anything you discuss with any member of the surgery staff, whether doctor, nurse or receptionist, will remain completely confidential.

If you are under 16, and you tell us that you would like your medical records to be confidential, no information will be given to anyone without your permission – this includes parents, other relatives, care workers or teachers. The only circumstances in which the practice would consider passing on information without your permission would be to protect either you or someone else from serious harm. In this situation we would always try to discuss this with you before any information is released.

Even if you are under 16, nothing will be said to anyone, including parents, other family members, care workers or teachers, without your permission. The only reason why we might want to consider passing on confidential information without your permission would be to protect either you or someone else from serious harm. In this situation, we would always try to discuss this with you first.

If you have any worries or queries about confidentiality, please ask a member of staff.