Confidentiality

Everyone has the right to privacy and confidentiality. All our staff have access to patient information at various levels. They all receive training aimed at ensuring confidentiality is maintained throughout the surgery at all times. Should the occasion arise that you wish to speak to a receptionist in private, please ask and we will do our utmost to accommodate your request.

In line with the above, we are unable to disclose any information regarding a patient, unless they are deemed a minor, to anyone other than the patient themselves, unless written consent is given that this disclosure can be made.

Please do not be offended if you are refused information regarding another patient, even if they are a family member or close friend. We have all of our patients' best interests at heart.

How We Keep Your Records Confidential

Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential.

Who Are Our Partner Organisations?

We may share information with the following main partner organisations:

• Strategic Health Authorities
• NHS Trusts
• Ambulance Services

We may also share your information, subject to strict agreement about how it will be used and with your consent, with:

• Social Services
• Education Services
• Local Authorities eg housing
• Voluntary Sector Providers
• Private Sector Providers

Why We Collect Information About You

• Your doctor and the team of healthcare professionals (nurses, osteopaths and counselling therapists for example) caring for you, keep records about your health and any treatment and care you receive from the NHS.
• These records help to ensure that you receive the best possible care now and in the future
• Secretaries, receptionists and other clerical staff need access to some of your records in order to do administrative tasks such as booking appointments and communicating with you and other parts of the NHS.

How Can You Access Your Health Records?

• You have the right of access to the information we hold about you on our records.
• If you require access to/information from your records please apply in writing to Gael Ogunyemi, Practice Manager.
• Our guiding principle is that we are holding your records in strict confidence.

Teenage Confidentiality Policy

The principles of confidentiality apply equally to all patients regardless of age. Young people (including those under 16) are entitled to equal confidentiality as all other patients. This includes respecting their wishes to withhold information from parents or guardians. The GP involved will determine the competency of a young person seeking treatment and will determine the extent to which confidentiality guidelines apply in each case.  

Any young person regardless of age can independently seek medical advice or treatment, including surgical procedures, if a health professional believes that they are capable of understanding the choices of treatment and their consequences. This includes contraceptive advice, but the principles apply to other treatments, including abortion.

The policy of the Practice is to support young people in exercising their choice of medical treatment, and to deal with them in a sympathetic and confidential manner. Where a young person presents at the surgery without adult support they may be booked in to see a clinician in the normal way. Where there is some question of the urgency of an appointment the matter should be referred to a nurse in the first instance to triage the request.

Suggestions & 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.

Simply contact the Practice Manager and s/he will set all the necessary wheels in motion. Further written information is available on the complaints procedure from reception. We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated and a suggestion box is located in the waiting area.

Practice Charter

Our practice website describes the various services we offer, the surgery times and other general information about our practice. To complement this, our Patient’s Charter explains what your rights are and the standard of healthcare that you should receive at this practice. The care of your health is a partnership between the practice team and yourself, and for this to be fully effective requires certain co-operation from you. This charter therefore also includes what we need from you in order to meet our commitments fully.

Our Philosophy of Care is:

• To provide and improve the best care for patients.
• A commitment to attaining the highest standard of clinical practice and encourage health promotion.
• To maintain a comfortable and supportive working environment for all the staff.
• To keep a happy team spirit and empathy for patients and staff alike.
• To strive for Crown Dale Medical Centre to be an encouraging place for research/training/ learning/teaching.
• To ensure that communication is open between patients, staff and external parties (eg other professionals) at all times.

Our responsibility to our patients:

• You will be treated in a friendly, courteous manner whenever you visit or telephone the surgery.
• You have a right to confidentiality.
• We will offer appointment times to suit the needs of the population served
• You will be offered a same day emergency appointment if you need to see a doctor urgently.
• Appointments are available to book 2 weeks in advance, please note that it is not always possible to be seen by a particular Dr, this will depend on availability
• Written requests for repeat prescriptions, where agreed by the doctor, will be available for collection in two working days.
• You have the right to see your health records, subject to the limitations of the law.
• Patients will be treated as individuals and partners in their healthcare, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religious or cultural beliefs.
• We will try to answer the phone promptly and to ensure that there are sufficient staff available to do this.
• The surgery will provide, through the Primary Care Trust, an interpreting service for non-English speaking patients, provided adequate notice is given as this service needs to be booked in advance.

The Patient's Responsibilities For our team to give you and fellow patients the best possible service, we would ask you to note the following guidelines:

• Please read our practice booklet carefully and retain it for future reference. This will help you to get the best out of all the services we offer.
• Please let us know if you change your name, address or telephone number.
• Please ask for home visits only when the person is too ill to visit the surgery. Home visits take up a great deal more of a doctor’s time.
• Please do not request a night visit unless it is strictly necessary
• Please keep your phone call brief and avoid calling during the peak morning time for non-urgent matters.
• Please ensure you are punctual for your appointments. If you find you are unable to keep an appointment, please give us as much notice as possible. You can call our appointments cancellation line from 7.00pm to 8.00am on 020 8655 7841.
• Please remember that an appointment is for one person only. If another member of the family also needs to see the doctor, even if the symptoms are identical, another appointment should be made.
• Please request repeat prescriptions in writing and at least two working days before they are needed.
• Please direct enquiries about your hospital appointments directly to the hospital.
• Whilst most of our patients are co-operative and supportive, occasionally we have abusive and violent patients. If this occurs and staff ask you to vacate the waiting room, please comply with their request quickly and quietly as it will have been made with your own safety in mind.
• In line with the NHS zero tolerance policy, it is the policy of this practice that, if a patient is abusive, threatening or violent to any member of staff here at Crown Dale, they and their family will be immediately removed from the list.
• Remember, you are responsible for your own health and the health of your children. We will give you our professional help and advice but need your co-operation to keep you healthy.
• Please switch off your mobile phone when entering the premises.